Janelle Irwin Taylor
Three additional residents at a Freedom Square nursing home in Seminole have tested positive for COVID-19, the facility announced Saturday.
Five residents were transported to local hospitals Friday night, three of which have tested positive and two who are awaiting test results.
The newly reported cases are from the Freedom Square Rehabilitation Center, which is a separate building from the Seminole Nursing Pavilion evacuated Friday, meaning another outbreak could ensue.
The total number of cases from Freedom Square is now 39, based on the facility’s Friday report of 36 cases and the additional three reported Saturday. Those include the Freedom Square Rehabilitation Center and the Seminole Nursing Pavilion.
As of Friday, six test results were pending leaving three remaining for tests pending related to the Seminole Pavilion.
Meanwhile, the facility identified and notified 237 employees who were directly associated with Seminole Pavilion and likely had contact with residents who tested positive for COVID-19.
The facility made testing available for those employees through BayCare. So far 91 have been tested and 13 have tested positive, according to Freedom Square.
“As we work with Department of Health leadership to implement additional measures in the days and weeks ahead, we anticipate that we will see additional residents and employees test positive,” the facility wrote in a statement.
The facility is now formally requesting the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County work with the facility “to develop more aggressive mitigation strategies.”
“The highly contagious nature of COVID-19 has proven to be an incredible challenge for health care facilities across the country, therefore we greatly value the Department of Health’s counsel and guidance as we strive to remain nimble in our response,” they wrote.
Facility leaders admitted they lacked adequate amounts of proper personal protective equipment (PPE) including N95 masks, but is working to purchase more supplies.
Freedom Square first become aware of a person who tested positive for the virus on April 9, but the facility’s outbreak was not made public until April 15 when Florida Politics first reported the outbreak.
So far, three residents have died from the facility, one who died April 11 and two others on Friday.
According to Pinellas County Commissioner Pat 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.
