Number of coronavirus cases at Columbia nursing home grows. Six residents hospitalized.
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The new coronavirus has now spread to 24 people who live or work at a Monroe County assisted living facility for seniors.
The cluster of cases at Garden Place Columbia has grown from two residents and one employee on Wednesday to 16 residents and eight employees on Friday.
Six of the residents who tested positive for COVID-19, a respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, are hospitalized, according to the health department.
Monroe County Health Department Administrator John Wagner said another six tests out of Garden Place are pending, so more cases could be reported later.
Amira Fahoum, a spokeswoman for Compass Senior Living, which owns Garden Place, said 66 residents live at the Columbia facility, which means 24% of the seniors there have COVID-19.
Fahoum said Friday that there are no cases at any of Compass Senior Living’s other nursing homes, including those in Millstadt, Waterloo, Red Bud and Mt. Vernon. They are all following the same procedures to limit the virus’ spread — from serving residents meals in their rooms to providing employees face masks, according to Fahoum.
As of Friday afternoon, the total number of people to test positive for COVID-19 in Monroe County was 43. Four of the eight Garden Place employees live in another county, so they aren’t counted in Monroe’s total patients.
