UPDATE: MCHD announces 36 of 161 cases are from local long-term care facility

Posted on May 15, 2020
McLean County Health Department Administrator Jessica McKnight (middle) and McLean County Communications Specialist Dion McNeal (left) announced that 36 of the 161 cases are from a outbreak at a local long-term care facility. (Photo courtesy: Blake Haas/WJBC)

By Blake Haas

BLOOMINGTON – In what is the most significant increase in one day since theCoronavirus  pandemic began, McLean County Health officials announced 25 new cases of COVID-19. Officials also announced a fourth McLean County resident has died from COVID-19.

McLean County Health Department Administrator Jessica McKnight said a portion of the 161 confirmed cases is from an outbreak at a local long-term care facility.

“Of our 161 cases, 36 are related to the Bloomington Rehabilitation and Health Care Center outbreak. Of those 25 new (cases), several are related to that. When we were working with the facility, when their first case was identified, we strongly recommended that they test all their residents and staff, and so they did. That’s where we obviously have a lot of new cases in a short amount of time because we are dealing with an outbreak situation.”

McKnight said the long-term care facility had implemented guidelines such as residents and staff wearing masks, restrictions on visitors, no group dining, among other things.

“We’re working with this facility and our other long-term care facilities – maintaining constant contact with them, and really letting them focus on taking care of their residents right now and just offering any guidance that we can based on what the CDC recommends to do.”

Officials say that around 3,100 McLean County residents have been tested for COVID-19. And of the 161 cases, health officials say 45 residents remain in home isolation, seven remain in the hospital, and 103 have recovered.

During his daily press briefing, Gov. Pritzker announced 2,432 additional cases of COVID-19, with 130 new deaths moving the statewide total to over 90,000 cases and 4,000 deaths.

Health officials confirmed there had been four deaths in the county, apologizing for miscalculations previously announcing a fifth death.

Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].

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