6 Coronavirus Deaths Linked To Aurora Senior Living Facility

AURORA, IL — Six residents of the Bickford of Aurora senior living facility have died from the new coronavirus, according to statistics released Sunday. Illinois public health officials also revealed an additional 25 residents have tested positive for the virus, though the facility disputes that number.

The 31 cases linked to Bickford of Aurora by the Illinois Department of Health represent the most of any senior living facility in Kane County. Only eight senior living facilities in Illinois have seen more residents die from the coronavirus than the Aurora facility, as of Sunday, according to IDPH data showing the extent of the coronavirus outbreak at nursing homes in the state.

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Alan Fairbanks, executive vice president of operations for Bickford Senior Living, confirmed to Patch Monday that six residents of the Aurora facility had died from the coronavirus, but he disputed the IDPH’s tally of confirmed cases. According to Fairbanks, Aurora of Bickford has had a total of nine confirmed cases, including the six residents who died.

The company remains in constant contact with the Kane County Health Department, which is “in agreement with our numbers,” Fairbanks said.

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The facility’s website will be updated later Monday to reflect there have been nine cases, and three are still active, Fairbanks said, but the company does not disclose residents’ deaths.

“The number of deaths felt like it was a little too personal to get into,” Fairbanks said.

However, residents and their families are receiving updates on the number of cases and deaths, and the company is taking numerous steps to limit the spread of the coronavirus at its facilities, Fairbanks said.

Residents are continuously monitored for any symptoms or change in their condition, and they have been given personal protective equipment like face masks and gloves, Fairbanks said. Employees at all Bickford Senior Living facilities are screened when they report for work and are required to wear masks at all times, he added.

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