CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

Two more individuals test positive for COVID-19 at Princeton nursing home

Bluefield Daily Telegraph - 7/24/2020

Jul. 24--By CHARLES OWENS

Bluefield Daily Telegraph

PRINCETON -- Two more individuals at a Mercer County nursing home have tested positive for COVID-19.

A fifth employee at the Princeton Health Care Center has tested positive for the virus, along with a fifth resident, according to an updated statement released by the health care center Friday afternoon.

The care center said another 16 individuals, both residents and employees combined, are being monitored due to COVID-19 like symptoms.

"All current residents who are symptomatic and/or confirmed cases are being isolated to specific COVID-19 designated care areas," the statement said. "Those individuals are being cared for by designated/dedicated staff members."

The statement said five employees at the health care center have tested positive for COVID-19 since March. Two have fully recovered, while three continue to recover at home. That's up from four virus cases involving employees on Thursday.

A fifth resident of the care center also has tested positive for the virus. That's up from four cases involving residents of the facility on Thursday.

The statement said the center completed a mass testing of all employees and residents on Thursday with 279 residents and employees being tested for COVID-19.

"We will provide updates as test results are received," the statement said. "Individual residents and/or their responsible parties will be notified when indicated. Any identified positive staff member will be required to quarantine to home as well as other interventions as outlined by the local and state health officials."

Visitation of residents at the nursing home remains suspended until further notice. Instead, window visits, the use of Skype video conferencing, phone calls and written communication are encouraged. New admissions and re-admissions to the facility also have been suspended at this time.

The cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases to date in Mercer County climbed to 79 on Friday. Of that number, 66 of the virus cases have occurred within the last month.

Matthew Bragg, sanitarian for the Mercer County Health Department, said the new virus case confirmed Friday morning involved community spread of COVID-19.

The bulk of the new cases in the county are being attributed to community spread of the virus and travel to Myrtle Beach, S.C., according to the Mercer County Health Department.

New virus cases also were reported Friday in Southwest Virginia, along with another virus-related death in Wythe County, Va.

The Virginia Department of Health reported the third COVID-19 death Friday in Wythe County. That's the second death reported by the department of health in Wythe County this week. No other details were immediately released regarding the latest death. The first virus-related death in Wythe occurred earlier in the pandemic.

So far there have been 84 virus cases reported in Wythe County along with nine hospitalizations and three deaths.

Two new virus cases also were reported Friday morning in Tazewell County, which brings the county's cumulative total of COVID-19 cases to date to 57 with one recent virus-related hospitalization. That's up from 55 cases on Thursday.

-- Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com. Follow him @BDTOwens

___

(c)2020 the Bluefield Daily Telegraph (Bluefield, W.Va.)

Visit the Bluefield Daily Telegraph (Bluefield, W.Va.) at bdtonline.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Nationwide News