Three people test positive for the coronavirus at a nursing home in Dare County
Three people tested positive for COVID-19 at a nursing home in Dare County, the county’s sheriff’s office announced in a Facebook post Thursday.
The three cases at Peak Resources rehab and nursing facility in Nags Head at the Outer Banks involve two residents and one staff member, according to the post. Two of those people are Dare County residents and the third lives in another county.
The first positive case at Peak was announced on April 5 and all others who came in contact with the positive case were tested on April 6, according to the sheriff’s office post. Because of the other positive cases, all staffers and residents are being tested.
“As we receive the test results for all Peak Resources patients and staff, our public health staff will work closely with the facility to ensure that those individuals who are COVID-19 positive remain isolated from staff and patients who test negative,” Dr, Sheila Davies, director of Dare County Health and Human Services said in the sheriff’s office post. “Additionally, our staff will continue to conduct contact tracing of direct contacts associated with individuals who test positive.”
As of Friday afternoon, Dare County had 13 positive cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. According to the sheriff’s office, “six have completely recovered, five are asymptomatic (meaning they have not experienced any COVID-19 symptoms), one remains hospitalized out of the county, and one has died.”
It is unclear if the death is connected to the Peak nursing home outbreak. Phone calls made by The News & Observer to the Dare County health director were not immediately returned.
The outbreak at the Dare County facility is just one of 23 ongoing outbreaks at nursing homes across the state. An outbreak is two positive cases or more.
People 65 and older and those with underlying health conditions are considered to be the most at-risk of a severe illness when contracting COVID-19, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Cooper issued an executive order Thursday that outlines new mandatory instructions for long-term care facilities. They include halting group meals; taking the temperatures of employees before they enter the building; and increasing the monitoring of residents’ temperatures.
There are currently 23 ongoing coronavirus outbreaks at nursing homes across the state.
As of April 10 at 5 p.m.:
▪ At least 86 people at PruittHealth-Carolina Point in Orange County, both patients and staff, have tested positive. Three patients have died, according to Orange County. And 31 people have tested positive at Signature HealthCARE at Chapel Hill.
▪ At least 50 people tested positive at Pinehurst Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center in Moore County. The county’s health department tested all 96 residents and the center’s 115-person staff. Of those 96 residents, 45 tested positive for the illness caused by the coronavirus. Five staff members also tested positive, according to the Moore County Health Department.
▪ Springbrook Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Clayton reported 26 cases — 20 residents and six staff members, according to the Johnston County Health Department.
▪ At least 33 people at the Louisburg Nursing Center in Louisburg reported having positive tests, including nearly half of its residents.
▪ At least four people tested positive at The Laurels of Chatham Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Pittsboro.
This story was originally published April 10, 2020 at 5:29 PM.
