Three residents from Centralia facility for disabled are hospitalized with coronavirus
Three residents of a Centralia facility for people with developmental disabilities have been hospitalized due to worsening symptoms of COVID-19.
On Thursday morning, Illinois Department of Human Services spokeswoman Patti Thompson confirmed that one resident of Warren G. Murray Developmental Center was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital in Centralia on Wednesday and two others already had been hospitalized.
Thompson said the state can’t provide information on the patients’ ages, disabilities, medical conditions or symptoms because of rules that protect client privacy.
Bethany Benjamin, spokeswoman for the Southern Illinois region of SSMHealth, which operates St. Mary’s Hospital, declined to confirm or otherwise comment on the Murray cases on Thursday, citing federal patient privacy laws.
On April 8, Murray notified parents and guardians of 23 confirmed coronavirus cases, including 17 residents and six employees. On Tuesday, Human Services reported an increase to 41 cases, but that was later revised for a total of 39 cases, including 23 residents and 16 employees.
Some 127 people at Murray had been tested for coronavirus as of Tuesday, according to Allison Stark, director of the Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Developmental Disabilities, which operates Murray and six other state facilities.
That included the 23 residents and 16 employees who tested positive and about 70 people who tested negative. The rest are awaiting results.
The Murray campus covers 120 acres on the outskirts of Centralia to the west. Parts of Centralia are in Clinton, Jefferson and Marion counties. Murray is in Clinton County, which reported 199 coronavirus tests administered and 42 confirmed cases as of Thursday afternoon.
Murray opened in 1964. It has 243 residents and 559 employees. The campus consists of 13 major buildings, including seven cottages that house residents, according to the facility’s online Human Services profile.
“Developmental disabilities” is a broad term that can include Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and a wide range of intellectual disabilities. Half of Murray’s residents are non-verbal, and about 60% receive psychotropic medications, the profile states.
This story was originally published April 17, 2020 at 10:39 AM.
