MECHANICSBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — Fifty-five nursing home residents and 13 staff members at Messiah Lifeways nursing home have active cases of COVID-19, according to the facility’s website. Two residents have died from the virus within the past week.
“Messiah Lifeways was fortunate to not have been impacted by COVID-19 cases in our health care building in the past, but has taken swift action to contain the current spread,” said Curt Stutzman, Messiah Lifeway’s president and CEO.
The facility is regularly testing all residents and staff to identify and isolate new and asymptomatic cases. Residents with active COVID-19 cases have been moved to designated COVID-19 care units.
Dr. Rachel Levine reported on Monday that the Department of Health is seeing a small increase in the number of cases in nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
“The prevalence of COVID-19 in those facilities is going to be correlated with the prevalence of COVID-19 in the counties and communities where they are located,” said Dr. Levine, secretary for the Department of Health.
Levine says the recent increase is nowhere near the number of nursing home cases reported in spring and credits that the Regional Response Health Collaborative Program. Funding for the program is set to expire on December 1.
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