Fewer LTC facilities reporting more resident cases of COVID-19

JACKSON, Miss. (WLOX) - For the second week in a row, the number of long-term care facilities reporting cases of COVID-19 has gone down.

Fifteen LTC facilities reported cases of COVID-19 in residents and staff this week in the six southernmost counties.

Additionally, only facilities in Harrison County had a change in their case counts from the previous week. While the number of reported staff cases has decreased and the resident deaths reported have remained the same, cases still seem to be increasing among residents in LTC facilities.

LTC facilities in South Mississippi reported 219 cases in staff members, 319 cases in residents and 39 resident deaths related to COVID-19.

The Mississippi State Department of Health recently clarified an outbreak will now be defined by a single confirmed COVID-19 infection in an LTC resident or more than one COVID-19 infection in employees or staff in a 14-day period.

One case of COVID-19 in an employee of an LTC facility will still prompt an investigation by MSDH.

The names of the facilities where outbreaks have been reported had previously been withheld, citing patient privacy.

[ TABLE: An in-depth look at the number of cases in long-term care facilities ]

A Hinds County Chancery Court ruling said the names of facilities with outbreaks of COVID-19 should be disclosed out of public interest, and the court agreed. A further recommendation from the state attorney general backed up the decision.

While the names of the specific facilities were released, the names of individual patients will still not be public, nor will how many cases each facility has reported.

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