Life Care Centers of America's senior living facility in Athens, Tennessee, has four cases of the coronavirus, the company reported Wednesday.
One resident and three workers at the Athens center have reported positive for COVID-19, said Jeff Ricks, its executive director.
"We were recently informed that a resident has tested positive for COVID-19," said Ricks. "This resident is isolated and recovering in our facility. Any resident who has had known contact with this resident is also isolated as a precaution."
Ricks said three Life Care workers at the center also have tested positive for the virus.
"When we received the initial notification, we notified the state health department and started the process of contacting every resident, resident family member and staff member, to inform them of the initial positive test," he said.
Ricks said the center received notification of the initial positive test on Sunday, April 12.
He said that all three associates are recovering at home and will only return to work when Centers for Disease Control guidelines to go back to work are met.
The center's executive director said officials have been and will continue to follow all CDC, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and state and local health department guidelines concerning COVID-19.
"Our associates are being diligent on practicing proper hand hygiene and the use of personal protective equipment, which is recurring education they normally receive, beginning with their orientation at our facility," he said. "Every associate is also screened when they arrive for work and when they leave, including checking temperature, to ensure no additional sickness is brought into our building. Anyone with a fever over 100 degrees is sent home and asked to contact their personal physician."
The guidelines also place restrictions on the entrance of visitors, family members and vendors. Signage with information on COVID-19 and details about these restrictions is posted on our doors, Ricks said.
Long-term care facilities across the country have been sources of COVID-19 outbreaks - sometimes called "clusters" or "hot spots" - drawing attention for large numbers of coronavirus- related fatalities.
A Life Care Centers nursing home in Kirkland, Washington, has seen more than 120 cases of coronavirus infections and at least 37 deaths and the facility emerged as an early center of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States.
The daughter of a woman who died of suspected COVID-19 at Life Care Center of Kirkland is suing the Cleveland, Tennessee-based company that owns the nursing home in King County Superior Court., the Seattle Times said.
Deborah de los Angeles is accusing Life Care of fraud and the wrongful death of her 85-year-old mother, Twilla Morin, arguing that the company was negligent in failing to inform her family of the coronavirus outbreak at the facility.
Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @MikePareTFP.