Michigan’s seniors in nursing homes and long-term care facilities deserve a plan to keep them safe and we encourage Whitmer to sign SB 956 immediately.
July 28, 2020
Gov. Whitmer’s Chief Medical Exec Says Michigan Had 24 COVID Outbreaks In Long Term Care Facilities Last Week
Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s appointed Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun stated today that there were 78 identified COVID-19 outbreaks in the state last week and about 31 percent of those – or 24 cases – were associated with nursing homes and other adult long-term care facilities.
A bill passed by the Michigan legislature last week which had support from 19 Democrats would change Whitmer’s controversial nursing home policy created by executive order to protect Michigan’s most vulnerable residents.
In her remarks today, Dr. Khaldun stated the outbreaks identified last week were at both nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. WOODTV reported yesterday that the state still does not track COVID-19 cases or deaths in several types of long-term care facilities.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has helped claim the lives of 11 elderly residents at Clark at Keller Lake. But that number won’t show up on the state’s list of nursing home deaths, which is updated daily.
That’s because Clark at Keller Lake is an adult foster care home for the elderly, and the state has yet to release any numbers for those kinds of facilities.
While the state is reporting 2,002 COVID-19 deaths at nursing homes, nobody knows how many have died at the thousands of other facilities for the elderly, including adult foster care homes and homes for the aged.”
Gov. Whitmer’s nursing home policy led to Michigan’s most vulnerable seniors being exposed to COVID-19 and Dr. Khaldun confirmed today there are still numerous outbreaks impacting vulnerable seniors around the state. Michigan’s seniors in nursing homes and long-term care facilities deserve a plan to keep them safe and we encourage Whitmer to sign SB 956 immediately. – Tori Sachs, executive director of Michigan Rising Action