ST. LOUIS — Twenty-two residents and five employees at a St. Louis nursing home have tested positive for COVID-19, the executive director said Wednesday.
Executive Director Sean Buckley with Life Care Center of St. Louis said some of the residents were receiving treatment at a hospital while others were being treated at Life Care Center. All five of the employees are recovering and will not return until they meet specific health department guidelines.
The facility first reported cases at the location on Sunday, when Buckley said four residents and two staff members had tested positive.
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The first patient was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital on March 18. Two more patients who began showing symptoms were transferred on March 23 and March 24.
The first positive test came back March 24 and all patients known to have had contact with the residents were isolated, Buckley said Sunday.
The nursing home is owned by the same company that owns Life Care Center of Kirkland, the site of a COVID-19 outbreak in Seattle where more than 20 people have died.
Buckley said all employees are screened before entering the building. Anyone with a fever of 100.4 or higher gets sent home and is asked to contact their personal doctor.
The facility is also restricting access for visitors, family members and vendors.
A senior facility in St. Charles County has also seen an outbreak in cases in recent days.
The City of St. Louis has reported 239 cases of COVID-19 as of April 1.