Symphony Of Joliet Coronavirus 'Mess': Mayor Seeks State Probe

JOLIET, IL — In response to one of the worst nursing home outbreaks of the new coronavirus in Illinois, Joliet Mayor Bob O'Dekirk has asked Gov. J.B. Pritzker's staff to conduct a full investigation into "the mess that happened at the Symphony of Joliet nursing home."

At least 22 Symphony of Joliet nursing home residents have died from the coronavirus, and one employee has also died, Joliet Patch previously reported. Symphony of Joliet is located at 306 N. Larkin Ave.

Joliet's mayor said he invited representatives from Symphony to attend his Friday morning news conference at City Hall, but the company declined his invitation.

Don't miss updates about precautions in the Joliet area as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.

O'Dekirk said Symphony operates 26 nursing homes across Illinois and Indiana. Because it's a privately owned company, the city does not have authority to regulate the business, he said.

The mayor said he called the governor's staff this week and asked the Illinois Department of Public Health to conduct a full investigation into why the Joliet nursing home has had such an extraordinary number of coronavirus deaths over the past five weeks.

The mayor said he has talked with several members of the Joliet Fire Department who responded to calls at Symphony of Joliet in recent weeks for medical care.

The paramedics relayed "really concerning stories of what was observed at Symphony of Joliet," O'Dekirk said.

The mayor would not go into details about what city paramedics saw inside the nursing home, but said that information is being shared with state health officials to aid in their investigation.

O'Dekirk said he is confident the governor's staff will "untangle the mess that happened in the Symphony nursing home."

"Joliet families and people who lost a loved one have a right to get those answers," the mayor added. "We don't have answers right now but we are going to get the answers."

Joliet Fire Chief Greg Blaskey said his ambulances have transported at least 31 Symphony residents who had COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. Most went to local hospitals, including AMITA Health Saint Joseph Medical Center just a few blocks away.

Blaskey said Symphony's director of communications told him that state public health officials visited the Larkin Avenue nursing home Tuesday, but she would not divulge the reason the state inspectors were there.

It was Blaskey's understanding that 16 Symphony residents are recovering from the coronavirus at the care facility in Joliet.

Will County Health Department officials revealed at Friday's news conference that 1,072 people have died from the coronavirus in Illinois. At least 296 of those deaths were residents of nursing homes.

Related:

Illinois Coronavirus Update April 17: 1,072 Deaths Statewide
Joliet Police Cars Sanitized Thanks To 2 Local Companies
Jerrie's, State Farm Agent John Wright Bring 120 Hot Dogs To Health Workers