SUFFOLK, Va. — About 50 people have died in coronavirus outbreaks in Hampton Roads long-term care facilities. After months of pressure, the Virginia Department of Health is identifying the facilities with the most COVID-19 cases and deaths.
New facility-specific data shows deadly coronavirus outbreaks in Suffolk, Virginia Beach, Isle of Wight and Chesapeake, among other areas.
Three of the hardest-hit senior centers are in Suffolk:
- Autumn Care of Suffolk reports 11 deaths and 70 cases of the virus.
- Bon Secours Maryview Nursing Care Center reports 11 deaths and 95 total cases. A spokeswoman said the facility designated a COVID-19 unit for residents who tested positive.
- Nansemond Pointe Rehabilitation reports six deaths and 15 cases.
Governor Ralph Northam directed VDH to release the facility-specific data, saying: "Due to the widespread nature of this pandemic, it is now unlikely that releasing facility information would compromise anonymity or discourage facilities from participating in a public health investigation. Recently released data from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has also been inconsistent, creating public confusion."
More than 1,000 people have died in nursing home coronavirus outbreaks in Virginia. That's 62 percent of all COVID-19 related deaths in the Commonwealth.
In Virginia Beach, six people died and 33 people contracted the virus at the multicare center, Our Lady of Perpetual Help. The facility was one of the few to proactively inform residents and family members about its outbreak when it occurred in April.
In a statement, a spokesperson said, in part: "We express our sorrow for the passing of residents due to this global pandemic...Fortunately, we have also seen 22 residents who have fully recovered and are doing well. Throughout this challenge, we have seen the resiliency of the residents who have made Our Lady of Perpetual Help their home. Each one has demonstrated patience, understanding and hope; they have been a true inspiration."
At Consulate Health Care in Windsor, eight people died and 54 tested positive for COVID-19.
At both the Hampton VA Medical Center and the Autumn Care facility in Chesapeake, 37 cases of coronavirus were confirmed, but no one has died.
Seniors died at three other facilities in Virginia Beach, three other centers in Chesapeake, and two in the Williamsburg area, but we don’t know how many.
The Virginia Department of Health isn't specifying the count if less than five people died at a care facility in order to preserve patient anonymity.