Florida grapples with surge in COVID cases at long-term care facilities

DELTONA, Fla. - Advocates are calling a recent surge in cases at Florida long-term care facilities alarming.

Brian Lee works with Families for Better Care, a watchdog organization for long-term care nationwide. 

“Escalating, surgeon, skyrocketing -- whatever word you want to use. It’s just going off the charts," he said.

The chart shows the upward trend in Florida facilities statewide. In Central Florida, two show high numbers: Deltona Health Care in Volusia County and Eastbrook Gardens in Seminole County. According to state documents, both reported 55 cases in residents.  

On Wednesday, Governor Ron DeSantis tweeted the state was sending out teams for a second time to facilities across the state.

“A team is going in. They are helping to assess the facilities' needs. To make sure they have enough PPE. Assess their staffing, make sure they have enough staff to support the care of their residents,” said Kristen Knapp, with the Florida Health Care Association.

Knapp said FHCA represents a majority of the state’s nursing homes.

“We’ve been vigilant since the pandemic started. We’re restricting visitors, screening staff…heightened infection protocols," she said.

She added staff is being tested every two weeks and thinks increased testing and the state’s reopening is likely to blame for the surge.

“As the state reopens and we have more people moving around, our employees go home to their families. They still have groceries to put on the table, they’re putting gas in their cars,” she said.

Meantime, Lee said his organization is pushing the state for advanced rapid testing, saying its response is not enough.

“They’re not going to steam roll the curve. The only way to steamroll the curve is molecular rapid testing in every facility immediately,” he said.