SANDUSKY — Eight residents of the Ohio Veterans’ Home in Sandusky have tested positive for the coronavirus in recent days and were moved immediately to its Enhanced Care Unit, the Ohio Department of Veterans’ Services announced Saturday.
More results are pending from residents in an area where an initial four cases were identified Thursday, but four more cases were confirmed Friday, the agency said in its statement.
“Like so many in America, we are now faced with COVID-19 in our Homes,” Deborah Ashenhurst, the department’s director, said in the prepared statement. “Fortunately, our administrative staff, nurses, doctors, and other professionals have prepared for this for more than three months.”
All of the eight afflicted with the coronavirus “are receiving around-the-clock care and are in stable condition,” the department said, citing partnerships with Firelands Regional Medical Center and the Erie County Department of Health that enabled a rapid response.
ODVS operates veterans’ homes in Sandusky and, in southern Ohio, Georgetown. Before these cases, the department’s only coronavirus case involved a Sandusky staff member diagnosed last month and now recovering in self-quarantine after being hospitalized.
The Sandusky veterans’ home has 319 beds, while Georgetown has 168. All residents are U.S. military veterans who served “during periods of recognized conflict.”
First Published May 16, 2020, 9:27 p.m.