Coronavirus East Haven: 12 Deaths At Nursing Home, 5 Hospitalized

EAST HAVEN, CT — In a tersely worded letter to the state health department, Mayor Joe Carfora demanded action and help after patients at Whispering Pines Rehabilitation and Nursing Center began to die.

As of late Thursday, of the seven patients who have tested positive, two are still at Whispering Pines and five have been hospitalized.

Tragically, since April 1, a total of 12 of the nursing home patients have died.

Overall, in East Haven, there are 82 positive cases of the disease with ages 50 to 60 the hardest hit, officials said. Two residents have died. And while most are scattered throughout town, in addition to the cases at Whispering Pines, there are now three confirmed cases at Apple Rehab Laurel Woods.

Read the full update on cases here.

Crisis at Whispering Pines

The town learned of the first positive case of COVID-19 at Whispering Pines on March 31. Town Emergency Management Director and Fire Chief Matt Marcarelli contacted the East Shore Health District to share his concerns about the spread of infection at Talmadge Road rehabilitation center and nursing home.

The next day, on April 1, the town learned of the first death at the nursing home, Marcarelli said. It was at that point that the town learned that there was a desperate need for personal protective equipment at the facility. And despite limited supply for first responders, the fire department gave Whispering Pines a supply of PPE.

Five days later, six people at the nursing home were dead from the disease, town and health officials said.

On Tuesday, Carfora sent an "impassioned" letter to the Department of Public Health commissioner Renee Mitchell-Coleman.

The next day, Marcarelli, Carfora, Mitchell-Coleman and DPH chief of health care quality and safety Barbara Cass spoke via conference call. At that time, Marcarelli, in his role as head of emergency operations for the town, requested through the state emergency management agency more staff to help in the crisis at the nursing home. And that same day, Cass sent a team to the nursing home, Marcarelli said. Subsequently, patients at the nursing home who have tested positive, or are presumed or suspected to have the disease, Marcarelli said, were moved to a "separate wing" of the facility.

To date, 12 have died and at least seven are positive and five of them are in the hospital.

Meanwhile, East Haven is responding to the crisis by coming together, albeit while social distancing, with a motorcade parade set for Saturday dubbed 'East Haven Proud.' Read more here.