COVID-19 and Nursing Homes

As of Friday, half the cases of COVID-19 in Columbia County have been in nursing homes. Nursing homes accounted for 154 cases (Barnwell 117; Pine Haven 35; Livingston Hills 2); in the rest of the county, there were 163 cases. 

Yesterday, "Start Your Day with Yeh" released a documentary, which was picked up by imby.com, about the situation at Barnwell. The video was made by a young woman who is at the facility for rehab. Barnwell has seen the greatest number of COVID cases, with more than half its residents infected with the virus.

Nursing homes were one of the topics addressed today by Governor Andrew Cuomo in his daily COVID-19 briefing. Cuomo affirmed, "The most vulnerable people deserve the highest level of care." He reiterated what he has said several times before. If a nursing home cannot provide adequate care for a resident, for any reason, they must contact the New York State Department of Health to have that person transferred to an appropriate facility. Cuomo also announced two protocols: the staff at nursing homes must be tested for COVID-19 twice a week; no patient that tests positive for COVID can be released from a hospital to a nursing home. If a nursing home does not follow these procedures, it will lose its license to operate.