The J. Michael Morrow Memorial Nursing Home in Arnaudville reports the most COVID-19 deaths of any nursing home in the state.
On Monday, the Louisiana Department of Health released COVID-19 data from the state’s licensed nursing homes.
The Arnaudville nursing home was among the hardest hit facilities in the state. Besides the 34 deaths among its 147 patients, 68 patients contracted the virus as did 29 staff members.
Since April 1, the state has released only aggregate numbers of infections and deaths in senior complexes, and the total number of facilities with known cases.
The virus is most acute among the state’s 279 licensed nursing homes, the Department stated.
For now, Louisiana health officials are only reporting these details for the 279 licensed nursing homes in the state. Hundreds of other facilities, including assisted living homes, behavioral and mental health centers and other places where potentially vulnerable adults live in communal settings, are not included in Monday’s release.
Dr. Tina Stefanski, public health director with LDH for the Acadiana region, said Monday the numbers illustrate how the virus is spread by infected people who don’t have symptoms, The Advocate reported. Nursing homes in Louisiana closed their doors to visitors early in March, allowing only employees inside and they were screened for symptoms and fever, she said, and the virus still entered nursing homes and spread.
“Our nursing homes in Acadiana have been very responsive,” Stefanski said, adding cases at nursing homes probably will increase as tests are conducted on all residents in the facilities.
In Eunice, Eunice Manor reported zero cases ad deaths among staff and its 87 patients.
Oak Lane Wellness & Rehabilitative Center in Eunice reported 25 cases among its 79 patients, five deaths among residents and seven staff members contracting the virus.
A chart of Tri-Parish facilities and COVID-19 cases is on Page 2. The Tri-Parish and a state chart are available for download at eunicetoday.com.