Health officials warned as the pandemic was getting underway that long-term care residents were among the most vulnerable, and the virus, as predicted, tore through Illinois facilities in ways that exposed oversight failures. Facilities were put on near-lockdowns, with families largely unable to visit, as residents endured a deadly spring surge and even deadlier one in the fall.
Far fewer COVID-19 deaths in Illinois nursing homes, where residents and workers were prioritized for vaccination
