7 Coronavirus Deaths In Atlantic County Nursing Homes: State

ATLANTIC COUNTY, NJ — Seven people have died from the new coronavirus at Atlantic County nursing homes, including five people at the Egg Harbor Care Center in Egg Harbor Township, according to state officials.

The New Jersey Department of Health released its first public count of coronavirus cases and deaths in long-term care facilities. Deaths include those who tested positive, people with pending test results and respiratory-illness deaths for which COVID-19 testing wasn't performed.

Facilities report case totals to officials, so they may not reflect real-time data. The publicly released numbers don't differentiate residents and staff.

State officials reported the following at Atlantic County longterm care facilities:

• Egg Harbor Care Center, Egg Harbor Township: 12 cases, five deaths
• Complete Care at Linwood: 17 cases, one death
• Somers Place Assisted Living, Egg Harbor Township: three cases, one death
• Bacharach Institute, Galloway: 14 cases, no deaths
• Royal Suites Rehab, Galloway: five cases, no deaths
• Heritage Assisted Living, Hammonton: four cases, no deaths
• Hammonton Center: two cases, no deaths
• Preferred Care at Absecon (Absecon Manor): two cases, no deaths

The State tallied 59 cases at longterm care facilities in Atlantic County. Officials have reported 427 cases in all of Atlantic County, including 19 deaths. The figures indicate that 36.8 percent of cases and 13.8 percent of cases in Atlantic County are linked to longterm care facilities.

The Egg Harbor Care Center — the facility hit hardest — has listed several precautions on its website, including the following:

1. All corporate staff and office employees have been virtually educated on the coronavirus. Training has included symptoms to watch for and proper hand washing.
2. Hand sanitizing stations are present throughout the facility.
3. All offices are sanitized daily, including doorknobs, handrails and counters.
4. Signs are posted at the main entrance stating that any employee experiencing symptoms shouldn't enter and should contact their doctor.
5. The facility is taking temperatures and filling out prescreening forms for all staff.
6. Visitation has been suspended.

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The NJDOH ordered facilities to curtail visitors March 14. Longterm care facilities must also create outbreak plans that include clear policies for notifying residents, staff and family members when coronavirus cases have been identified in their facilities.

"The Department of Health is working on a statewide plan to assist nursing homes experiencing large outbreaks and shortages of staff and equipment," NJDOH spokesperson Dawn Thomas said in an email to Patch. "We are surveying their status including current census, available beds, ability to cohort staff and patients, physical layout, supplies, staffing and other resources they might need."

According to officials, 425 longterm care facilities in New Jersey have had outbreaks, totaling 10,744 cases and 1,779 deaths.

Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

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