Mabley Center resident is Lee County's first COVID-19-related death

A resident of the Jack Mabley Development Center in Dixon, a person in his or her 50s with underlying health issues, is Lee County's first coronavirus-related death.

The person had been hospitalized and was receiving comfort care, the Lee County Executive Leadership Team said in a news release this evening.

The center for those with developmental disabilities has seen a rash of COVID-19 cases, with nine staff members and 42 residents testing positive.

Those statistics also have unleashed a storm of unwarranted criticism and prompted unnamed restaurants to refuse to deliver to the center, the team said in its report Monday.

The outbreak at Mabley "has generated a harsh community response."

"The Lee County Unified Command Team wants our community to know that the men and women at the Jack Mabley center are heroes. These public servants are risking their health and potentially the health of their families to serve those with profound developmental disabilities," Monday's release said.

Mabley staff are working with the Lee County Health Department and are "implementing best practices in line with the CDC and the IDPH," said Administrator Cathy Ferguson-Allen, a member of the leadership team. All residents and staff, not just those showing symptoms, have been tested.

“The outbreak at the Jack Mabley Center displays how contagious this virus really is and demonstrates the impact seen at congregate living facilities all across our country,” City Manager Danny Langloss said in the release.

“As a community we must rise and support the incredible people working at this facility. They are true heroes. Many of these staff members are working double shifts multiple times a week to ensure the safety of those they serve."

Lee County had one positive test late Monday and three today involving people in their 60s, 40s, 20s and late teens, bringing its total to 74, 18 of whom have recovered. One new case is a Mabley Center resident.

The leadership team today also issued a modified schedule for media releases. Full releases will be sent on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. An update on state and local numbers in graphic form will be sent out on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Weekend releases will be provided only when there are additional positive reports in Lee County.

In Whiteside County, there were no new cases today, and five more people have recovered. Whiteside now stands at 111 positive cases, with eight deaths.

Ogle County had 14 additional positive cases and six more recoveries. Ogle County has had 171 positive cases, 97 recoveries and two deaths.

Carroll County did not report any new cases today. It has had 12 positive cases and two deaths.

Statewide, there were 4,014 new cases today and 144 coronavirus-related deaths. There have been 83,021 people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Illinois, and 3,601 deaths.

In Dixon, 591 people have been tested, with 57 positive cases. In Sterling, 275 have been tested, with 57 positive cases. In Rock Falls, 164 have been tested, with 25 positive cases. In Rochelle, 806 have been tested, with 114 positive cases.