Frustrated officials: Is Lancaster’s 27-case coronavirus spike linked to nursing home?
A Lancaster rehab center had 27 positive cases of coronavirus, officials at the center said.
However, it is unclear if the 27 cases at Lancaster Health & Rehabilitation nursing center attributed to the 27-case spike reported Tuesday in the county by the Department of Health and Environmental Control, officials said.
Lancaster Health & Rehabilitation officials said on its website on May 31 that the facility has confirmed 27 positive cases at the site on Pageland Highway after all staff and residents had been tested. The facility reported one positive case on May 28, according to the website.
Officials at the rehab center declined to comment. Officials there directed all inquiries to the official release on the company’s website that confirmed the positive cases.
Darren Player, Lancaster County Emergency Management Director, said it is likely the 27 cases were part of the 27-case spike reported Tuesday.
However, Player said 15 new cases were added to Lancaster County Wednesday.
“Part of that 27 case spike probably can be attributed to the center, but with additional cases Wednesday, we can’t be sure,” Player said.
DHEC does not release specific site data to county officials, Player said.
“DHEC only gives us a daily number of new cases each day and some information by ZIP code,” Player said. “We do not receive locations of positive tests.”
Player said he and other officials have been frustrated by the lack of information.
“It is frustrating to not know exactly where our risk populations are,” Player said.
Steve Willis, Lancaster County Administrator, said the 27 cases are likely part of the 42 positives cases from Tuesday and Wednesday.
“But we do not know for sure because DHEC will not tell us,” Willis said.
Willis said he is concerned about what appears to be a hotspot of cases.
“It is concerning to have a high number of cases in one place because that is a hotspot,” Willis said.
Willis said he has voiced his frustration to Lancaster members of the S.C. General Assembly about getting limited information from DHEC.
As part of DHEC’s efforts to expand coronavirus testing across the state in May and June, the agency planned to test all 40,000 residents and staff members in 194 of the state’s long-term care facilities.
DHEC has released information on facilities that have confirmed cases or deaths from COVID-19. Based on data updated on June 1, DHEC has reported one staff member at the Lancaster center tested positive for the virus.
As of Wednesday, the agency has reported a total of 2,082 confirmed cases among residents and staff in nursing homes or assisted living facilities in the state since April 3. DHEC has released information from 136 facilities.
This story was originally published June 3, 2020 at 5:24 PM.
