By: Ashmar Mandou
Amid reports of COVID-19 afflicting two nursing homes in Cicero, on Friday Town President Larry Dominick filed a lawsuit condemning City View Multicare Center of “negligent failures” to enforce orders to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus COVID-19 and called on the courts to order the transfer the center’s residents to McCormick Place and other hospitals to ensure they receive proper care and end the spread of the virus at that location.
“The Town of Cicero has been on this center to get its act together, to follow the directives to minimize the spread of the virus including requiring staff to wear full PPE protections,” Dominick said. In addition, the lawsuit also stresses that City View isolate residents that have tested positive for COVID-19 and order all state and employees wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
The lawsuit also names the Illinois Department of Public Health, the State of Illinois and Gov. J.B. Pritzker with failing to enforce policies to prevent the spread of the virus at the Cermak Road facility with has more than 325 residents and 300 staff. “Instead of doing so, when a staff member reported he had been infected by the coronavirus, he was ordered to report to work or be fired. Clearly, City View should transfer all of its patients to a facility that can better address the virus infections and reduce the spread and fatalities that have occurred.”
Since reporting its first two COVID-19 infections on April 1, the virus has spread to more than 164 residents and to more than 41 staff members at the care center located at 5825 W. Cermak Road. Another 39 staff members are awaiting COVID-19 test results, according to the Town of Cicero.
Dominick condemned Governor Pritzker, and the Illinois Department of Public Health for failing to take action to prevent the dramatic rise in coronavirus infections at the center among residents and staff. In the lawsuit, Cicero’s lawyers declare that City View has refused “to strictly follow these regulations represents an ongoing threat to the health and safety of Town residents, creating a controversy and public nuisance.”
The Cicero Emergency Operations Committee (EOC) which monitors the spread of COVID-19 has reported that of the 24 Coronavirus fatalities in Cicero, nine are City View residents and one was a staff member there.
Cicero delivered a letter notifying the center of the numerous violations including “failure to quarantine patients, failure of staff to wear PPE, failure to monitor the temperature of individuals entering the facility, and failure to provide masks for patients with respiratory illnesses to wear.” The letter, delivered by the Cicero Fire Chief Dominick Buscemi, a member of the EOC committee, also warned the facility that failure to comply with anti-COVID-19 procedures that the center could be shut down under President Dominick’s Emergency Orders. The lawsuit was filed by Cicero Town Attorney Michael Del Galdo and the Del Galdo Law Group LLC.
