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WGLT's reporting on the coronavirus pandemic, which began in McLean County in March 2020.

Nine Residents Dead From COVID-19 At Decatur Senior Living Facility

Fair Havens signage
County health officials announced eight new confirmed cases of the virus this weekend, with 36 linked to Fair Havens.

Nine residents at the Fair Havens Senior Living facility in Decatur have died after contracting COVID-19. So far, all COVID-19 related deaths in Macon County have been residents at the long-term care facility.

The latest casualties from the virus are a woman in her 90s and another woman in her 70s, according to the Macon County Health Department. Health officials did not release their names to allow their families privacy.

County health officials announced eight new confirmed cases of the virus this weekend, with 36 linked to Fair Havens, and one case associated with the nursing and rehabilitation center, Villa Clara Post Acute, in Decatur. 

Decatur Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe said last week that she wants the state to expand testing at Fair Havens to cover all residents and staff. She says State Sen. Andy Manar is reaching out to state officials on their behalf. 

At a press conference Sunday afternoon, Illinois Department of Public Health Director, Ngozi Ezike, said the state is taking more aggressive measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 in nursing homes. 

“We are sending testing supplies to different facilities, we are trying to identify neighborhoods or areas where there is a lot of COVID-19 activity in the area,” Ezike says.

She says the state is also working with the nursing home industry as part of their efforts to mitigate the impact of the virus on long-term care facilities.