Six residents and four employees at The Villas in Sherman have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
All three residents with newly confirmed cases are hospitalized, two at Memorial Medical Center and one at HSHS St. John’s Hospital, according to a statement from the Sangamon County Department of Public Health.
The ten cases include that of a resident in his 90s who died last week, according to the statement.
Melissa Beaver, a spokeswoman for Heritage Operations Group, which runs The Villas, said Wednesday that the facility is following all Illinois Department of Public Health guidelines for infection control, including restricting visitors and monitoring staff and residents’ temperatures.
Beaver said the nursing home has also notified residents, their families, and staff of the new infections within 24 hours, as required by new IDPH rules.
The Villas complex includes an assisted living facility and a retirement community. There have been no confirmed COVID-19 cases at either place, according to Beaver.
The Sangamon County Department of Public Health confirmed the outbreak on Tuesday.
Gail O’Neill, the health department director, said Tuesday that the facility is doing what it should to control the outbreak.
"While the caregiving staff continues to adhere to the infection prevention measures we have in place, they continue to provide uninterrupted services to our residents and stability to their daily routine especially during this Coronavirus pandemic," said Ben Hart, president and CEO of Heritage Operations Group, on Tuesday in an emailed statement.
IDPH began publishing data tracking outbreaks at nursing home and long-term care facilities last weekend. Cases at The Villas do not appear on the database, which will be updated weekly according to the website.
The tracking site shows outbreaks at 186 facilities across the state, with more than 1,800 confirmed cases and 286 deaths.
