La Grange Park Facility Still Missing From List Of Outbreaks

LA GRANGE PARK, IL — The state has yet to include La Grange Park's Plymouth Place on its list of coronavirus outbreaks nearly 40 days after the home's first death from the virus. After repeated inquiries from La Grange Patch, the state Department of Public Health said a week ago that Plymouth Place would be included in last Friday's update. It wasn't.

Representatives of the department couldn't be reached for immediate comment Wednesday about why Plymouth Place remains missing from the list.

Statewide, the department lists 17,098 coronavirus cases at nursing homes, including 2,744 deaths. For nearly two months, the state has provided a list of nursing homes with outbreaks with as few as two cases.

In mid-May, Plymouth Place executives confirmed to Patch that it had 17 coronavirus cases among residents and 27 among staff. All the cases have been on the nursing home and assisted living side of its complex, not in the half designated for independent living.

Records from the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office show that eight people have died from the coronavirus at the nursing home. The first seven deaths happened from April 25 to May 11. The latest death was of a 102-year-old woman on May 31.

The facility's officials said they have quickly reported coronavirus cases and deaths to county and state health departments.

Last Wednesday, Melaney Arnold, the department's spokeswoman, said Plymouth Place would be added to the website, which is only updated on Fridays.

"Because it is a multi-level community — independent and assisted living, as well as skilled nursing — we needed more information about where the outbreaks were occurring," she said in an email.

She did not explain why Plymouth Place had been missing.