Fourth Coronavirus Death Reported At Three Crowns Park

EVANSTON, IL — Half of the Evanston residents to die after becoming infected with the new coronavirus have lived at the same retirement community, according to state and county data.

As of Sunday, at least four residents of Three Crowns Park had died, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. Five residents who have previously tested positive have recovered, the facility's chief administrator told residents and their families in a letter Tuesday.

Executive Director Phil Hemmer said six staff members have tested positive for the new strain of coronavirus first identified in humans in 2019.

Hemmer said the facility has "experienced many challenges and taken some major steps forward with testing" over the past two weeks. He said administrators contracted with a private lab to begin testing of independent living residents on April 16.

During that period, an additional seven COVID-19 cases were detected, according to Hemmer, including two discovered through the internal testing program.

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Hemmer said administrators "plan to test all staff members through a newly launched Illinois Department of Health testing program offered to senior living communities."

Neither Hemmer nor other Three Crowns Park officials have provided answers to questions regarding why employees were not included in earlier testing efforts, how many staff have been tested and when the testing of all staff measures was expected to begin. Administrators have not responded to a request for an interview with a representative.

According to his letter to residents and their families, the half-dozen staffers who have tested positive so far were wearing protective equipment when they were working.

Evanston Health and Human Services Director Ike Ogbo did not respond to questions about the city's involvement in testing at Three Crowns Park and whether it took any steps to ensure staff at the facility were tested for the coronavirus or able to self-quarantine rather than having to return to work.

The most recent person to die at the facility, according to Hemmer, showed no symptoms of the coronavirus until developing a fever the day before he died.

"After his death, we were notified of his positive results," he said.

Hemmer said the facility would begin communicating regarding coronavirus-positive test results or deaths at the facility within 24 hours.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health's guidance to long-term care facilities, all residents must be provided written notification within 24 hours after administrators become aware that a staff member or another resident tests positive for the coronavirus.

Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike earlier this week announced a two-pronged approach to ramp up testing of staff at facilities with known outbreaks as well as increased testing at targeted facilities without any detected cases.

An IDPH spokesperson said staff have visited long-term care facilities with the highest number of cases to review use of protective equipment, hand hygiene and cleaning procedures, as well as discuss testing and isolation strategies with staff and administrators. The spokesperson did not answer questions regarding when staff visited Three Crowns Park or what role they had in testing decisions made by facility administrators.

The Evanston Health and Human Services Department reported there had been 253 confirmed COVID-19 cases, among residents, as of Tuesday.

At least eight Evanston residents had died of complications from COVID-19, according to Cook County Medical Examiner's Office records, with the most recent death occurring on April 15.

Earlier: Third Resident Of Evanston Retirement Home Dies Of Coronavirus