The state has now added COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes to its coronavirus tracking website – confirming nearly 300 people have died in those facilities. Ohio Public Radio's Karen Kasler reports.
276 deaths are reported in nursing homes in 29 counties. Van Runkle with the Ohio Health Care Association, which represents long term care facilities, had said two weeks ago that residents and staff at nursing homes had died of COVID-19, though the state wasn’t confirming that. Van Runkle says it was not pressure from his group but was the governor’s call to break down the list of deaths now posted by county.
“If the decision had been to report it by facility, it would have been reported by facility and we wouldn’t have complained about that.”
Van Runkle says operators of long term care facilities want mass testing, as was done in three Ohio prisons. As many as three quarters of inmates at one prison were found to have COVID-19, and many had no symptoms.
The list of nursing home deaths is available as part of the state's COVID-19 dashboard. A list of the number of cases reported at specific facilties is also available.