More LTC facilities reporting fewer COVID-19 cases in residents, staff

JACKSON, Miss. (WLOX) - While more long-term care facilities are reporting cases of COVID-19, overall, the number of reported cases has still gone down from the previous week.

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

LTC facilities in South Mississippi reported 156 cases in staff members, 209 cases in residents and 26 resident deaths related to COVID-19.

The Mississippi State Department of Health defines an outbreak as 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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