NY nursing home reports 98 deaths linked to coronavirus

A New York City nursing home on Friday reported deaths of 98 residents believed to have h coronavirus — a staggering death toll that shocked public officials.

“It’s absolutely horrifying,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said. “It’s inestimable loss, and it’s just impossible to imagine so many people lost in one place.”

It is hard to say wher spate of deaths at Isabella Geriatric Center, in Manhattan, is worst nursing home outbreak yet in U.S., because even within city facilities have chosen to report fatalities in different ways. An official state tally of nursing home deaths listed only 13 at home as of Friday.

But officials at 705-bed center confirmed that through Wednesday 46 residents who tested positive for COVID-19 h died as well as an ditional 52 people “suspected” to have virus. Some died at nursing home and some died after being treated at hospitals.

number of bodies became so overwhelming home ordered a refrigerator truck to store m because funeral homes have been taking days to pick up deceased.

“Isabella, like all or nursing homes in New York City, initially h limited access to widespre and consistent in-house testing to quickly diagse our residents and staff,” Audrey Waters, a spokeswoman for nursing home, wrote in an email. “This hampered our ability to identify those who were infected and asymptomatic, despite our efforts to swiftly separate anyone who presented symptoms.”

Isabella also encountered staffing shorts, prompting it to hire from outside ncies and early challenges securing personal protective equipment for employees. Waters said home finally is “getting more access to testing” w.

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Nursing homes have been kwn since earliest days of outbreak as a trouble spot. y have been

state Department of Health said it has received “outbreak reports” from 239 nursing homes, including at least six facilities with death tolls of 40 patients or more.

“ one thing we w kw about nursing homes is status quo cant continue to say least,” de Blasio said. "Something very different has to happen.”

City officials are "trying to provide help in every way we can,” mayor ded, saying city h delivered thousands of respirator masks to Washington Heights facility.

nursing home said it “could t speculate” as to why a state survey previously listed only 13 COVID-19 deaths at its facility. It sent a lengthy statement to AP on Friday insisting it “truthfully and accurately reported” its death toll to state officials.

nursing home also said it kept family members in loop about changes in ir loved ones' conditions despite circumstances.

“When we believe ir loved one is nearing death, we do reach out to a resident’s primary contact and ask if y would like to say goodbye in person or via phone or an app,” Waters said. “In-person goodbye visits were never interrupted and continue to happen.”