CONNECTICUT (WTNH) — Governor Ned Lamont has released new coronavirus numbers from the state’s nursing homes.
There have been 568 confirmed COVID-19-related deaths of residents in nursing homes and 3,423 cases. The cases were reported by nursing homes to the Connecticut Department of Public Health and the deaths were reported by the Medical Examiner’s Office.
A full break down of each nursing home can be found online.
The report also indicated that there were 200 probable deaths associated with the virus.
Josh Geballem with the governor’s office, said nursing home deaths account for 43% of the state’s coronavirus deaths. He said the probable deaths have been factored into that number. The state is now mandating facilities to supply daily status reports.
As of Friday, April 24, there have been 1,764 COVID-19 deaths in the state.
Kimberly Hall North in Windsor was one of the nursing homes reporting the highest numbers of deaths: 26 probable, eight confirmed.
The report states there is a total of 17,342 registered beds in Connecticut.
The numbers brought some light to residents as nursing homes across the country have accounted for a disproportionally large number of COVID-19 deaths.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner told News 8 that not all nursing facilities are reporting their suspected or confirmed COVID-19 related deaths, which is slowing down the state’s efforts to track the illness.
With this new mandatory reporting order, any facility not reporting could face thousands of dollars in fines for every instance. Across the country, nursing homes have had a very high mortality rate for coronavirus, and that has some people looking at other options for their loved ones.
“We have in Connecticut, a very strong program of home and community-based services to support families to forestall nursing home placement,” Quinnipiac University Nursing Professor Sheila Molony said.
Molony suggests that Connecticut should do what Maryland has done and put a nursing home strike force in place to do testing, assessment and provide help with infection prevention.
