77 coronavirus cases, 1 death at nursing home

77 coronavirus cases, 1 death at nursing home

New at ten -- a rehab center in athens saw 77 cases of coronavirus since late june.

Four of those cases were discovered in residents in just the last day.

So far -- one resident has died as a result of the virus.

Waay 31's will robinson-smith is live outside of the senior rehab and recovery center at the limestone health facility.

He spoke with the facility and a family member of a resident who tested positive about the rise in cases.

Will?

56 residents and 21 staff members have tested positive for coronavirus so far.

We're digging into the data and learning how coronavirus is affecting this facility and others in our area.

Precious fowlkes, mother stays at senior rehab & recovery center i mean just hearing that was just definitely devastating.

Precious fowlkes' mother has been a resident at the senior rehab and recovery center in athens for about eight months.

She tested positive for coronavirus a couple of weeks ago.

But after another round of testing this week... some good news.

Precious fowlkes, mother stays at senior rehab & recovery center i really just got the news today that she had a negative test...i still don't know what the second test will show, but at least it shows that maybe she's moving into that positive direction of getting out of quarantine.

According to the facility, 56 residents and 21 staff members tested positive for the virus.

Data from the centers for disease control shows that one resident has died.

There are 123 residents in total here.

Fowlkes says the process has been harder for some than others.

Precious fowlkes, mother stays at senior rehab & recovery center not everyone is doing as well as my family and my mother.

Some people are extremely devastated because they are not able to communicate with their loved ones and it is taking a toll on their patients or the residents.

A facility spokesperson says they're following guidelines from the c-d-c and the alabama department of public health.

Fowlkes says she appreciates the effort.

Precious fowlkes, mother stays at senior rehab & recovery center they definitely have been doing the social distancing, monitoring symptoms on a daily basis as well as making sure that those that are positive are in a different unit than those who are not.

However, the center at the limestone health facility is not alone in its struggle with coronavirus.

Data from the c-d-c shows the following rehab and long-term care facilities have also had residents and staff test positive.

A representative from the limestone health facility says they've had to shuffle staff to overcome a shortage in nursing assistants.

We reached out to the health department to see if they plan to have the alabama national guard come help with cleaning any facility in north alabama.

Dr. karen landers says they quote "cannot discuss communicable disease investigations of specific facilities."

She says that as of wednesday, long-term care facilities have been given a list of companies who specialize in coronavirus cleaning.

Meanwhile -- fowlkes is hopeful the statewide masking mandate will help keep facilities, like the one that cares for her mother, safer.

Precious fowlkes, mother stays at senior rehab & recovery center i think that now that it's a mandate within the entire state, that will also help with just that general spread, which seems to be creeping more and more into facilities like nursing homes.

The information on that death was as july 5, according to the c-d-c's data base.

We've asked the facility here if any other residents or any staff members have died from the virus.

We're waiting to hear back.

Reporting live in athens, will robinson-smith,