Breaking: two more COVID-19 deaths at Pine Acres. Death toll rises to 5, case count rises to 69

DeKALB - Two more residents of Pine Acres Rehab and Living Center died from complications due to the novel coronavirus, according to the DeKalb County Health Department Thursday.

The Pine Acres residents were both women according to the Illinois Department of Public Health, one in her 60s and one in her 90s. There are also new COVID-19 cases linked to the longterm care facility in DeKalb, which now reports 50 residents have contracted the viral respiratory disease at the 119-bed center, along with 19 employees.

The death toll is now five at Pine Acres, and all have been women. The first, a woman in her 70s, a woman in her 90s, and another woman in her 90s reported Wednesday.

Pine Acres now reports the majority of deaths in the county, and almost 15 percent of the cases, with a total of 69 cases now linked to the facility.

Administration and staff at the facility have not returned requests for comment when asked to elaborate on procedures being done to ensure the spread of COVID-19 is mitigated.