10 die from COVID-19 at Cicero nursing home, including employee

CICERO, Ill. - More than 200 residents and staff of a Cicero nursing home have tested positive for COVID-19, while 10 of them — including one staff member — have died from the disease, city officials announced Tuesday.

At least 163 residents and 41 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 at City View Multicare Center, 5825 W. Cermak Rd., according to the results released Tuesday afternoon by city spokesman Ray Hanania.

The deaths at the nearly 500-bed facility include nine residents and one employee who died in the last two days, Hanania said. The test results come after state health officials mandated last week that the City View test every resident and member of the facility. Test results are still pending for 39 staff members.

Cicero officials have complained about City View’s health safety record, and hope the facility improves works to improve the safety of its residents.

The Cicero Health Department has issued 10 recent citations to City View, mostly for issues regarding the use of masks, gloves and other PPE, or protective personal equipment, Hanania said.

“They’re in our sights, and we’re going to pay attention to them. Another citation might lead us to alert the (Illinois Department of Public Health), which has the authority to shut them down. The town hopes they can correct the treatment system over there so they are properly protected, otherwise we’ll have to try another route,” Hanania said.

City View, which did not immediately return a request for comment, has been quarantining all patients positive for COVID-19 to three floors of the facility, Hanania said.

So far, Cicero has reported 899 residents with positive cases of COVID-19, and 21 fatalities.