Four residents of the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington in Rockville have died from COVID-19. Another 37 residents there have tested positive for the illness caused by the novel coronavirus.
The Maryland Department of Health released the figures Tuesday as part of its account of confirmed cases and deaths statewide at nursing homes, assisted living facilities and group homes with 10 or more occupants.
Statewide, Montgomery County has the greatest number of residents living in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and group homes with at least 10 occupants who have tested positive for COVID-19.
As of Wednesday morning, there were 1,043 cases and 129 confirmed deaths in nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Montgomery County. Statewide, there were 4,369 cases and 471 confirmed deaths, according to the Department of Health.
The 129 confirmed deaths account for almost 60 percent of all COVID-19 deaths in the county. As of Wednesday, 218 county residents have died from the virus.
The Hebrew Home, a nursing home that is part of the Charles E. Smith Life Communities, has 556 beds.
A request to Charles E. Smith Life Communities week by WJW for information about the condition of the residents and staff at the Hebrew Home drew an email response from Mitchell Schmale of Nevins & Associates, a strategic communications firm.
“We have been following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and continue to work closely with local, state and federal public health agencies as we respond to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and the unique threat it presents to the older adults we serve,” Schmale wrote.
His statement also noted, “We are ensuring that our team members have supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE), including gowns, masks, gloves and eyewear and are using the PPE in accordance with federal and state guidance.”
On its website, CES Life Communities noted that the staff learned on March 31 that a resident from Smith-Kogod Residence had tested positive. On April 2, a resident from Wasserman Residence also tested positive, according to its website.
Suzanne Pollak is a Washington-area writer.
