COVID-19 has hit an area nursing home. The Lawrence County Health Department said there’s a COVID outbreak among residents and staff at Harbor Healthcare in Ironton.
The Health Department said they were working with the facility and the Ohio Health Department to attempt to stop the spread. The facility isolated residents with COVID-19 from other residents. Additionally staff members check all residents’ temperatures twice daily and monitoring for symptoms. Testing is scheduled for all other residents and staff.
Just a week ago, the facility showed off a banner proclaiming their high scores on the state’s infection control survey, proclaiming they were COVID-19 prepared and had tested 100% negative.
The facility earlier shared images of masked staff holding events to keep residents entertained.
Lawrence County was downgraded from red alert health status to orange today. However, 22 new cases of COVID-19 were also reported.
According to the Lawrence County EMA, 14 women and 8 men ranging in age from 35-95 tested positive. The brought the county’s total number of cases to 274.
Nursing home residents are especially vulnerable to COVID-19. Out of Ohio 3,618 deaths, 2,060 occurred in long-term care facilities. The median age of those who died was 80.
Scioto County Numbers
Scioto County has been largely spared from nursing home outbreaks, though a staff member at a local facility did test positive this week.
Only one Scioto County nursing home resident tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. That was at the Bernita Corporation Intermediate Care facility.
Since March, staff members have tested positive at the following Scioto County Facilities:
- Best Care – 2 staff members
- Portsmouth Health and Rehab – 1 staff member
- River Bend House Assisted Living – 1 staff member
- River Run Healthcare – 1 staff member
- Rosemount Pavilion – 2 staff members, including one new this week.
So far, Pike County reported one positive resident at the National Church Residences at Bristol Village and no cases of COVID positive staff members.
