Add To Favorites
Lehigh Valley nursing home with the most coronavirus cases says third resident has died
Morning Call - 4/7/2020
A third resident of a private Lehigh County adult-care facility has died from the coronavirus.
Genesis Healthcare Lehigh Center in Lower Macungie Township confirmed the death Tuesday. On Monday, company spokeswoman Lori Mayer said two residents had succumbed to the disease, among 27 residents who tested positive, with another 22 employees infected.
Genesis Healthcare Inc. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Richard Feifer said Monday the company has been following public health guidelines and adopted stringent infection precautions.
“We are doing everything in our power -- and everything medical experts know as of this time -- to protect our patients, residents and employees.”
The coronavirus spread has been hitting nursing homes hard, three weeks into Pennsylvania’s battle against the disease. As of Tuesday, more than 600 cases were tied to long-term care facilities.
The state Health Department reported 1,579 new coronavirus cases Tuesday, a one-day increase of about 12%, bringing the total number of cases to 14,559. The number of cases in the Lehigh Valley increased by 198 to 1,920, an increase of about 11%. The department also said there have been 240 deaths since the outbreak, including 24 in Lehigh Valley. Lehigh and Northampton counties each reported two new deaths.
Genesis Healthcare, which is based in Kennett Square, Chester County, operates nearly 400 skilled nursing and assisted-senior living facilities in 26 states.
Morning Call reporter Anthony Salamone can be reached at 610-820-6694 or asalamone@mcall.com.
We rely on the support of our subscribers to fund our journalism as we continue to cover the coronavirus crisis. If you’re not already signed up, we hope you will consider subscribing. Already a print subscriber? If you haven’t already, please activate your digital access.
___
(c)2020 The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.)
Visit The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.) at www.mcall.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.