St. Joe's Hospital Coronavirus Cases Level Off

JOLIET, IL — A top Joliet hospital official at AMITA Health Saint Joseph Medical Center reported Friday the number of new coronavirus cases has leveled off, and hospital employees now have thousands of extra N95 masks in supply.

AMITA Health Saint Joseph President Herb Buchanan said his hospital is now seeing an average of nine to 26 new coronavirus patients per day. St. Joe's has about 40 coronavirus patients and another 30 patients under investigation for the illness, Buchanan said Friday morning.

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"Now is a period that seems to have leveled off, so we feel comfortable with where we are now," Buchanan remarked during Mayor Bob O'Dekirk's Friday news conference.

The mayor's weekly news conferences are intended to provide the community with an update on how the city is responding to the international health crisis.

According to Buchanan, doctors, nurses and staff at St. Joe's hospital are using about 330 N95 masks a day.

The good news, he said, is that the hospital has more than 31,000 N95 masks in stock. At this point, St. Joe's has roughly 100 days of N95 masks in supply.

The biggest challenge now, Buchanan said, is restocking the supply of disposable gowns. He said St. Joe's and other hospitals across the country are facing a shortage of gowns.

Buchanan thanked all the Joliet area businesses that have donated meals or held parades around his hospital's medical campus to boost the morale of employees.

Babe's Jumbo Hot Dogs on West Jefferson Street has been organizing a weekly parade around the hospital.

Joliet's mayor said that St. Joe's has been outstanding in its response to the pandemic. "You guys have been doing a great job over there," O'Dekirk told Buchanan Friday.

O'Dekirk also added that Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox has 52 coronavirus patients and another 12 patients under investigation for coronavirus symptoms.

Joliet's mayor said he did not have any updates on the coronavirus outbreak at Stateville Correction Center. However, O'Dekirk said it his understanding there are few Stateville prisoners being taken by ambulance to area hospitals, unlike the situation several weeks ago.

"The National Guard has it under control," O'Dekirk said.

On another sign of optimism, Joliet's mayor said the city is in the process of bringing back more city employees who were working from home the past several weeks.

O'Dekirk said he's hoping downtown's City Hall can reopen to the public "in the next few weeks."

The mayor announced that all three of the Joliet Park District golf courses reopened Friday, however, it does not appear Joliet's two gambling casinos, Harrah's and Hollywood Casino Joliet, will be reopening for business anytime in the near future.

It appears the city's revenues as a result of the economic slowdown caused by the pandemic may be down 70 percent to 80 percent, however, the city won't "feel the impact until June or July," when the city's revenue numbers are finalized, O'Dekirk said.

O'Dekirk said he is adhering to Governor J.B. Pritzker's guidelines regarding social distancing. "The response from Joliet residents has been terrific," the mayor added.

Related:

• Illinois Coronavirus Update May 1: 2,355 Deaths Reported
• Joliet Park District Golf Courses Have Reopened
• Big Apple Pancake House Makes Comeback In Joliet