Janelle Irwin Taylor
A Seminole nursing home plagued in recent days by dozens of cases of COVID-19 is evacuating its entire facility after nearly 60 residents were transferred to area hospitals who had either tested positive (or were presumed positive) for coronavirus.
According to Pinellas County Commissioner Pat Gerard, three residents have died.
The Seminole Nursing Pavilion at Freedom Square, the nursing home portion of the large facility, has transported 58 residents to local hospitals since at least Tuesday night, facility managers previously said.
Commissioners received notification Friday that, “based upon an assessment and consensus of DOH (Department of Health,) the facility, HCA, Baycare and EMS, the nursing home portion of the facility will be completely evacuated.”
The message, first shared by WTSP reporter Jennifer Titus, indicated 39 patients remained at the facility.
“This will allow the facility and DOH to completely reset the facility’s infection control practices, decontaminate the site, provide additional training for staff, etc.,” the message read.
Seminole Fire and Sunstar began the evacuation process at 3 p.m. Friday. It was unclear what accommodations were being made for remaining patients at the facility.
Freedom Square did not immediately respond to an inquiry.
According to Gerard, the facility had been having difficulty managing its situation, but, much to her frustration, never reached out for help.
“We have PPE we can share with them but they don’t tell us they need it,” Gerard said.
Multiple sources who asked not to be named have told Florida Politics the facility lacked adequate personal protective equipment and, in many cases, were using homemade facial coverings not medically graded to protect against the virus. They were also reportedly being to told to use the same gown for multiple shifts.
Asked previously about workers’ access to PPE, Michael Mason, Freedom Square executive director, declined to answer specifically. He did say the facility has preventative measures in place and he thinks the facility is in a “comfortable position.” Mason made those comments before commissioners became aware of PPE shortages at the facility.
Gerard said county emergency management officials are now reaching out to all nursing homes and longterm care facilities in the county to see if they need help.
Statewide there are problems with long-term care facilities’ access to PPE. The Florida Health Care Association (FHCA) said only 47% of nursing homes have enough protective equipment to last two weeks while 80% have enough to last a week. And most facilities’ supplies would be depleted if a resident or staff member tested positive for COVID-19.
Tuesday night 38 residents were transferred to hospitals, according to Freedom Square.
By Friday, another 20 had been sent to area hospitals.
On Wednesday, Florida Politics first reported, with confirmation from a county official, that 21 individuals who were positive or presumed positive were transferred to local hospitals — seven each to Morton Plant, Largo Medical Center and St. Anthony’s. At the time, it was estimated that 30 residents and six employees were either infected or likely infected.
Freedom Square officials said a patient at the Seminole Pavilion Rehabilitation Center on its campus tested positive for COVID-19 on April 9, the facility’s first known case.
As of Thursday, they said 21 residents and six employees have tested positive for the disease at the rehab center.
As of Friday morning, there were 83 cases of coronavirus reported in Pinellas County longterm care facilities, up from 64 Thursday. Those cases are likely from Freedom Square, though the state does not provide details on which facilities have cases.
