A care facility in Elkhorn is reporting 68 cases of COVID-19 coronavirus in their facility.
Life Care Center of Elkhorn told 6 News on Thursday that they have confirmed that two-thirds of the residents there are COVID-19 positive. Earlier this week, there were twelve cases at the facility, but now that number has ballooned to 68. Of the center's 77 residents, 51 have tested positive while 17 out of 39 staff members have also tested positive.
Nebraska has recorded 107 COVID-19 deaths, 75 of those deaths from nursing homes. That number makes up 70% of all coronavirus deaths statewide, well above the national average of 50% for states.
As of Thursday, Nebraska has 82 long-term care facilities with positive cases. “We work closely with the population at high-risk,” Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts said Thursday. “Shelly Schwedhelm (executive director of Emergency Preparedness at Nebraska Medicine) with the Biocontainment Unit visits with many of them to share best practices. She's up to 27 facilities, I think, to help them do more."
Nationwide, more than 10,000 people in long-term care facilities have died of COVID-19.