JOLIET (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The mayor of Joliet is calling for a state investigation into the COVID-related deaths of nearly two dozen residents of a nursing home in the southwest suburb.
Mayor Bob O’DeKirk says the Illinois Department of Public Health needs to "untangle the mess" that happened inside the Symphony of Joliet nursing home.
Symphony spokeswoman Lauryn Allison says 22 residents of the long-term care facility have died of COVID-19.
"We don’t have the answers right now, but we’re going to get the answers, and certainly, Joliet families, people who lost loved ones inside that nursing home have a right to get those answers,” O’DeKirk said Friday.
Joliet Fire Chief Greg Blaskey says Symphony's Allison has told him there are 16 residents of the nursing home who currently have COVID-19. The rest of the residents who had been at the facility tested negative for the coronavirus and have been transferred to other Symphony nursing homes.
Will County Health Department Executive Director Sue Olenek says there are others issues with Symphony.
She said loved ones of residents say they're not able to get through to administrators for answers about their relatives.
"Our department is getting emails as well indicating that, people are not getting the answers, not only the answers they’re asking about but they’re just not getting any calls back. So, I’m going to reach out to the administrator and ask that they make sure that they’re getting back to the loved ones,” Olenek said.
Mayor O’DeKirk says 33 residents of five other nursing homes in Joliet have tested positive for the coronavirus.
He says testing positive for COVID-19 are 22 residents at Villa Franciscan; six residents Parc at Joliet; one resident at Spring Creek Nursing Home on Draper Avenue; and five residents at the two Sunny Hill Nursing Home locations.