SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) –

The Springfield-Greene County Health Department announced the deaths of five patients infected with COVID-19.

Health leaders say all of the new cases are associated with long-term care facilities. The victims include a man in his 70s, two men in the 80s, a woman in her 70s and a woman in her 80s. Each of them had underlying health conditions.

The state requires long-term facilities to notify the families of all residents when there is a positive case in the facility as well as when a death occurs. Institutional settings, like long-term care, are environments where a respiratory illness can easily spread. This can be especially devastating in a long-term care facility, where residents are more susceptible to disease.

“This is a tragic reminder that we all have a part to play in preventing COVID-19,” said Director of Health Clay Goddard. “We all have to be vigilant about masking and all of the prevention tools we have, including one of our most important: staying home when we are sick to protect our neighbors and our vulnerable loved ones. This is especially important as we continue to see cases surge in institutional settings.”

There have been 11 deaths from COVID-19 in August. A total of 22 Greene County residents have died from COVID-19.

Long-term care in Greene County

The Springfield-Greene County Health Department has worked closely alongside the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and with local long-term care facilities to assist with testing, secure Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and to provide guidance on best practices for disease prevention and containment in an institutional setting.

While it is ultimately DHSS that has the regulatory authority, responsibility and oversight of communicable disease containment in long-term care setting, local public health departments are a partner in serving as a liaison to support the state’s disease prevention strategy. This strategy includes facility-wide testing of staff and residents after a positive test of either a resident or staff, and repeated testing until there are no additional cases.

Long-term care facilities are required to report a positive case among staff or residents to DHSS within 24 hours so guidance can be provided on comprehensive testing, isolation and quarantine instructions, personal protective equipment and staffing. State guidance for long-term care facilities can be found here.

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