A新冠肺炎(新型冠状病毒肺炎)伊利诺伊州爆发退伍军人之家被感染了官员称，迄今已有近200人死亡，23名居民丧生。
11月1日，位于拉塞尔的伊利诺伊退伍军人之家报告称，两名居民和两名雇员的艾滋病病毒检测呈阳性冠状病毒。在其最新的更新在周三公布的疫情中，共有98名居民和93名员工确诊了病例。报道称，又有两名退伍军人死亡，使死亡总数达到23人。
伊利诺伊州退伍军人事务部发言人布里奇特·杜利向美国广播公司证实，这家国营长期护理机构的七名居民目前正在住院治疗。
杜利说，疫情已经蔓延到家中的绝大多数退伍军人，家中有111名居民。
“这是一场悲剧，”她说。“我们都被它摧毁了。”
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伊利诺伊州拉塞尔的伊利诺伊退伍军人之家正在经历新冠肺炎病例的增加
长期护理机构受新冠肺炎影响的风险很高，这是由于它们的聚集性和通常具有潜在健康条件，根据疾病控制和预防中心。
拉塞尔县也正经历着高新冠肺炎蔓延率。当地卫生官员在一份声明中说，目前它处于该州的橙色状态，这意味着有“该县新冠肺炎风险增加的警告信号”脸书帖子。
他们说，该县最近的病例也经历了“急剧上升”。过去一个月，拉塞尔的病例总数增加了一倍多，从10月21日的2238例增加到11月18日的5048例。根据国家数据，截至11月15日，其七天滚动阳性率为20.4%。
杜利说:“当COVID在社区中泛滥时，很难让它远离这些地方。”
官员们说，为了控制疫情，退伍军人之家目前正在每一次换班时对员工进行测试，居民每天使用抗原测试。它还对员工进行日常健康检查。
官员们说，除了对新冠肺炎居民的同情性护理访问之外，游客也受到限制，这些居民面临着状况迅速变化的风险。
退伍军人之家的管理人员安吉拉·梅尔布雷斯在一份声明中说:“我们正在遵循最新的医疗指南，并与州、联邦和地方卫生官员合作，以确保我们所有的居民得到持续的护理，并对任何可能受到辐射的人进行检测和保护。”声明。“我们感谢我们的团队对新冠肺炎的迹象或症状保持高度警惕，并对任何潜在的病例做出迅速、适当和专业的反应。”
官员们表示，疫情似乎正在放缓，周三报告了两起新病例。
中西部是长期护理设施中新冠肺炎疫情的“中心”COVID跟踪项目。追踪者发现，上周，养老院、辅助生活设施和其他设施的病例增加了17%，其中38%在中西部。报告称，上周报道的全国长期护理死亡病例中，约有35%发生在该地区。
根据该项目，伊利诺伊州上周报告的新病例是上周的两倍，从838例增加到1932例。
州长J.B. Pritzker本周宣布了新的限制措施，因为新冠肺炎病例、住院和死亡人数在该州和中西部激增。
从周五开始，伊利诺伊州的博物馆、剧院和赌场将暂时关闭，室内娱乐活动将暂停。人们也被敦促呆在家里，避免聚会。
普利兹克在周二的新闻发布会上表示:“由于已经发生的感染，我们将在未来几周继续看到新冠肺炎的住院人数和死亡人数上升，但我们可以改变我们的长期结果。”。“如果我们现在就做出改变，阻止这种情况继续下去，在未来几个月里，我们有可能挽救成千上万人的生命。”
Coronavirus outbreak at Illinois veterans home infects nearly 200 residents, staff
ACOVID-19outbreak in an Illinoisveterans home has infectednearly 200 people and taken the lives of 23 residents so far, officials said.
On Nov. 1, the Illinois Veterans Home at LaSalle reported that two residents and two employees had tested positive for thecoronavirus. In its latestupdateon the outbreak, released Wednesday, a total of 98 residents and 93 employees had confirmed cases. Two more veterans had also died, bringing the total to 23, the report said.
Seven residents of the state-run long-term care facility are currently hospitalized, Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs spokesperson Bridget Dooley confirmed to ABC News.
The outbreak has reached a vast majority of the veterans in the home, which has 111 residents, according to Dooley.
"It's a tragedy," she said. "We're all devastated by it."
Long-term care facilities are at a high risk of being affected by COVID-19, due to their congregate nature and an older population that typically has underlyinghealthconditions, according to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention.
LaSalle County is also experiencing a high rate of COVID-19 spread. It currently is at the state's orange status, meaning there are "warning signs of increased COVID-19 risk in the county," local health officials said in aFacebook post.
The county has also recently experienced a "drastic rise" in cases, they said. Total cases in LaSalle have more than doubled in the past month, increasing from 2,238 on Oct. 21 to 5,048 on Nov. 18. Its seven-day rolling positivity rate was 20.4% as of Nov. 15, according to state data.
"It's really difficult to keep COVID out of these places when it's running rampant in the community," Dooley said.
To control the outbreak, the veterans home is currently testing employees at every shift change and residents daily using antigen tests, officials said. It also conducts daily health screenings of employees.
Visitors have also been limited, except for compassionate care visits for residents with COVID-19, who run the risk of a rapid change in condition, officials said.
"We are following the latest medical guidance and are working with state, federal and local health officials to ensure the continued care for all of our residents and testing and protection of anyone potentially exposed," Angela Mehlbrech, administrator of the veterans home, said in astatement. "We are grateful to our team for remaining highly vigilant for signs or symptoms of COVID-19 and for responding swiftly, appropriately, and professionally to any potential cases."
The outbreak appears to be slowing down, officials said, with two new cases reported on Wednesday.
The Midwest is the "epicenter" of COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care facilities, according to theCOVID Tracking Project. Last week, cases in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other facilities increased 17%, with 38% of those in the Midwest, the tracker found. About 35% of the nation's long-term care deaths reported last week were in the region, it said.
Illinois reported twice as many new cases last week over the previous week, with 1,932 cases, up from 838, according to the project.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced new restrictions this week as COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths spike in the state and in the Midwest.
Starting Friday, Illinois museums, theaters and casinos will temporarily close, and indoor recreational activities will be put on pause. People are also urged to stay home and avoid gatherings.
"We will continue to see a rise in both hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 for weeks ahead because of the infections that have already happened, but we can change our longer-term outcome," Pritzker said during a press briefing on Tuesday. "We can save potentially thousands of lives in the next few months if we make changes right now to stop this in its tracks."
