More than half of Gratiot County’s COVID-19 cases tied to single nursing home – Lansing State Journal

ST. LOUIS More than half ofGratiot County's knownCOVID-19 cases have been tied to a single home for the elderly, where 12 residents and three staff members have tested positive for the disease, according to a Tuesday news release from the local health department.

A resident ofRiverside Healthcare Center, a woman in her 70s, died from the disease on May 2,Leslie Kinnee, a health department spokeswoman said Tuesday.

The facility, located in St. Louis, Michigan north of Ithaca, offers nursing home, assisted living and independent living accommodations, according to its website. Its first positive COVID-19 case was reported April 25, Kinnee said.

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In all, 26Gratiot County residents have tested positive for the novel coronavirus and two have died, health officials reported.

Riverside Healthcare Center of St. Louishas canceled group activities and closed communal spaces. Residents who test positive for COVID-19must self-isolate in their rooms, according to the news release.

Employees who test positive are not allowed to return to work until all symptoms have improved and they've been released from monitoring by the Mid-Michigan District Health Department.Staff have access to "enhanced" personal protective equipment, including N95 masks and gowns, officials said.

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Riverside Healthcare Center took extensive measures to protect its residents and staff from COVID-19, but the virus still managed to infiltrate the building, Sarah Doak, community health and education division director for the MMDHD, said in statement.COVID-19 is very contagious and can spread easily among a vulnerable population, such as those residing in long-term care centers.

All staff and residents of the facility have been tested for COVID-19, temperatures are taken twice a day andnon-essential visitors are banned, according to the news release.

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"Mid-Michigan District Health Department is in communication with our team on a daily basis and making every effort to rid Riverside of COVID-19," Al Raza, the facility's administrator, said in a statement. "The Riverside Healthcare Center team is deeply saddened by the loss of our resident and we will miss her dearly."

Across Michigan, at least43,950 people have tested positive for the disease and4,135 have died, according to data submitted Monday morning to the state health department.

Contact reporter Sarah Lehr at slehr@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahGLehr.

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More than half of Gratiot County's COVID-19 cases tied to single nursing home - Lansing State Journal