IDPH: Kankakee’s Riverside Miller Center COVID-19 status ‘CLOSED’ after 88 cases, 22 deaths

Illinois Department of Public Health officials reported today after nearly three months of COVID-19 cases, Riverside Miller Center’s status is now listed as ‘CLOSED’. The last update from IDPH reported 88 cases at Miller Center with 22 deaths during the pandemic.

The status update was presented along with new numbers posted on IDPH’s website Saturday morning.

Sources first reported cases at Miller Center in early April before Riverside Healthcare confirming cases among residents on April 15th. At that time, Riverside announced it would be able to treat 55 residents in negative pressure isolation if needed.  By April 17^th reports of the first death at the Center due to COVID-19 had come out of a resident’s obituary, with over 50% of all residents becoming infected before the end of April.  Since then, over 100% of residents became infected with the virus. 

The center reportedly only supports 70 residents.

Last month, on June 13^th, Country Herald reached out to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) after the Department first reported over 100% of residents had been infected at Miller.  At the time the Department reported 74 of 70 residents infected.  In addition to verifying the numbers, we asked IDPH if there was any policy issued by the State to prevent long-term care facilities with OPEN cases from taking on new residents.

No response was given by the State of Illinois.

Case reports were also CLOSED on Sunday at six other area long-term care facilities.  Those included in the CLOSED status update included Riverside Miller Rehabilitation, Riverside Senior Life at Bourbonnais, Presence Our Lady of Victory – Ascension Living, Heritage Village Harvest View Senior Living, Bickford Senior Center of Bourbonnais and Aperion Care of Bradley.

Cases remain OPEN at five area long-term care facilities in Kankakee County.  Those facilities include the Shapiro Developmental Center in Kankakee, the Illinois Veterans Home at Manteno, the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs Prince Home, Kankakee Terrace, and the Community Alternative of Illinois.