Coronavirus May Have Killed 98 At Washington Heights Nursing Home

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — As many as 98 residents at the Isabella Geriatric Center may have died of the coronavirus, according to a new report by NY1. The news would make the facility the largest cluster of deaths in all of New York state.

The Isabella Geriatric Center is a 705-bed nursing home along Broadway in Upper Manhattan. As NY1 reports, 46 residents there have died of confirmed coronavirus cases and another 52 have died of suspected, but unconfirmed, cases of the coronavirus. Together, the 98 dead mark almost 14 percent of the nursing home's population.

The center appears to have has failed to report even half of the confirmed deaths: the latest data from the state shows only 13 coronavirus-related deaths at the nursing home. Several family members also say they were left in the dark.

"They didn’t reach out to us until the last minute to tell us she’s not going to make it. How does that even happen? There was no communication," one family member who wanted to remain anonymous told NY1. "The nurses station, they wouldn’t pick up the phone, so you had to call over and over again."

Others blame the facility for failing to care for residents who showed symptoms and needed tests or support.

“They did not inform us that COVID-19 was at the facility. We believe he deteriorated because of their lack of response,” Xiomara Garcia-King told the station after her father died at Isabella Geriatric.

The center claims they've done everything in their power to keep residents safe, but have been handicapped by the lack of readily-available testing. A statement posted on the nursing home's website reads in part:

"The numbers that will be announced over the next few days about COVID-related deaths at Isabella will be disturbing. As you know, Isabella has been following state and federal guidelines for infection control, which so far have helped contain the virus. Unfortunately, nursing homes in New York City have not been given access to widespread and consistent inhouse testing to quickly diagnose our residents and staff. Sadly, this has hampered our ability to further limit loss of life by swiftly separating anyone with the virus."

The statement also says that most of their residents are in their mid 80s or older and often have underlying health issues, making them especially susceptible during the pandemic.

You can read NY1's full report on the deaths at the center here.