AMORY, Miss. (WTVA) - A nursing home in Monroe County says it’s dealing with a coronavirus outbreak.
Previous Article - Monroe County has high amount of coronavirus cases, deaths in long-term care facilities
The state health department does not identify the nursing homes in Mississippi that are dealing with coronavirus outbreaks.
But one of those nursing homes did identify itself – Diversicare in Amory. According to the facility, residents are not the only people who tested positive. Testing revealed some employees contracted it too.
A company spokeswoman referred WTVA to a statement on its website. The entire statement is below in bold font.
"We want to inform you that Diversicare of Amory has residents and/or staff members who have tested positive for COVID-19. We have been in touch with Dr. Byers and his team at the Mississippi Department of Health, as well as officials at the CDC. We are working closely with public health officials to address the situation and are grateful for their assistance. We have been in touch with the loved ones of all those who have been impacted, and will continue to do so on a regular basis.
Our Center implemented precautionary and preparedness measures early– all in accordance with CMS and CDC guidelines- including strict limitations on visitation. Limits on visitation will continue, per guidance from the CDC, and we are working hard to make sure residents can still connect with their loved ones by phone, text, or video chat.
We are doing everything we can to ensure we stop the spread of this within our center and our community. Our infection control procedures are in compliance with the CDC and Miss. Dept. of Health guidance. Our nursing staff is educated and understands the healthcare protocols for the COVID-19 quarantine and all emergency situations.
During any emergency situation such as this one, the safety of our patients and residents is our first priority. Our goal is this situation, as in all others, is the provision of exceptional healthcare. If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the Diversicare Care Line at (888) 508-9774 (choose option Covid19), which is available 24/7 to address your questions.
We are grateful for the support of our wonderful residents and their families, our heroic staff, and our great community. Thank you."
The other nursing home with a coronavirus outbreak is just down the street from Diversicare. River Place confirmed on Tuesday it is dealing with the virus as well.
However, no one will officially say how many deaths happened at either of these nursing homes.
Open this link to view long-term care facilities cases and deaths by county and race in Mississippi.