Janelle Irwin Taylor
The number of patients with COVID-19 at Freedom Square, the Seminole elder care facility with a deadly coronavirus outbreak, has grown to 36.
According to Pinellas County Commissioner Pat Gerard, three residents have died. Freedom Square said one patient died April 11 and two others on Friday.
In all, 95 patients at Freedom Square’s Seminole Nursing Pavilion have been moved.
All residents have now been tested for COVID-19. No cases have been reported at Freedom Square’s assisted living facility.
Freedom Square officials say all family members have been contacted with information about the status of their loved ones. The facility did not provide information about the health status of any of its previous residents, nor did it say whether or when residents would return to the facility.
“We extend our sincere condolences to the families of these patients and our thoughts and prayers are with them at this difficult time,” facility officials wrote in a statement.
Of those, 53 tested negative and 36 tested positive. Six tests are pending.
The facility evacuated its nursing home Friday after transporting 38 residents to area hospitals Tuesday and Wednesday and another 20 Friday. As of Friday afternoon, 39 residents remained at the facility.
Those residents were transferred to local hospitals if they were showing symptoms of COVID-19. Those who tested negative were moved to a non-COVID floor at Bayfront Health St. Petersburg.
Residents who were already receiving end of life hospice care were transported to another hospice facility.
Pinellas County 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.”
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, staffers were using homemade facial coverings not medically graded to protect against the virus. They were also reportedly being 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 long-term 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.
