National Guard To Help With Stateville Coronavirus Outbreak

JOLIET, IL — To address the recent outbreak of the coronavirus within the maximum security prison north of Joliet,the National Guard will be deployed to set up a temporary medical care facility on the grounds of Stateville, which encompass more than 2,000 acres along Route 53 between Joliet and Romeoville, reports Joliet's news radio station WJOL.

That news involving the National Guard is welcomed by Joliet Mayor Bob O'Dekirk. He told Joliet Patch that as of noon Tuesday, four of the Stateville Correctional Center prisoners who were being hospitalized with the coronavirus at Joliet's AMITA Health Saint Joseph Medical Center had been moved elsewhere.

As a result, the number of Stateville inmates at St. Joe's dropped to 14 as of Tuesday afternoon after being as high as 18, the mayor said.

The mayor said two patients have been returned to Stateville, one prisoner has been moved to the Morris Community Hospital and the fourth inmate was moved to a Springfield hospital.

The mayor said that things had become a mess at St. Joe's hospital because several of the prison guards had to be inside the hospital to provide extra security for all these inmates who were undergoing medical treatment.

On Monday, state public health officials announced two additional deaths in Will County, including a man in his 60s who was incarcerated at the Illinois Department of Corrections' large maximum security prison just north of Joliet.

On Monday night, O'Dekirk told Patch he was alarmed to learn so many state prisoners were being hospitalized this week with the coronavirus at Joliet's only hospital. He said the number of prisoners had doubled from the day before. Eight inmates were admitted to the hospital Sunday, he said.

Joliet's mayor said he didn't believe the hospital had admitted any prisoners from Stateville at this time one week ago.

"It kind of exploded on them," the mayor said.

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However, the mayor said, it was his understanding that at least four other regional hospitals may start to accept patients from Stateville who require medical attention as a result of coronavirus symptoms.

"St. Joe's expressed a lot of gratitude that the governor's office is intervening and is going to help," O'Dekirk told Joliet Patch Monday night. "We don't want to have a Joliet hospital where Joliet citizens can't get help."

AMITA Health Saint Joseph Medical Center has 424 staffed beds.

State public health officials announced Monday that some of the Stateville inmates who were already under hospital care are requiring ventilators.

Additionally, 77 more Stateville prisoners with symptoms of the coronavirus are being kept in isolation at the maximum-security state prison along Route 53. A total of 11 staff members from the prison are also being kept in isolation, state health officials announced.

Read More:

• 1st Stateville Coronavirus Death In Will County
• Illinois Coronavirus Update March 30: Death Toll Hits 73 In Illinois
• Illinois Coronavirus: 3,000 More Beds At McCormick Place