Seminole County

‘It’s been a firestorm': COVID-19 outbreak reported at largest nursing home in Seminole County

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — In Seminole County, the number of COVID-19 deaths over the last month has dramatically increased.

On Friday, the county announced 10 more people have died from the coronavirus, a one-day record for the county.

Health officials said a coronavirus outbreak was reported at Life Care Center in Altamonte Springs, the largest nursing home in Seminole County.

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Seventy-one residents at the facility have tested positive for COVID-19, which is about 30% of the facility’s population.

Since the outbreak, there have been 10 deaths from the virus at the nursing home. A worker at the facility, who wished to remain anonymous, said the facility didn’t have a single positive case until the Fourth of July.

“We had eight residents test positive for COVID-19, and since then, it’s been a firestorm,” the worker said.

The worker believes asymptomatic workers are to blame.

She said infectious control measures at the facility have failed, and some of the residents have do not resuscitate orders, making it even harder.

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Seminole County’s director of emergency management said the county is working with Life Care administrators to contain the spread.

Officials said there are an additional 195 residents in nursing homes across the county who tested positive for the virus.

Jeff Levkulich

Jeff Levkulich, WFTV.com

Jeff Levkulich joined the Eyewitness News team as a reporter in June 2015.

Katlyn Brieskorn, WFTV.com

Katlyn Brieskorn is a Digital Assignment Editor at WFTV. She joined Channel 9 in July 2019.