GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — With concerns of receiving the necessary protective equipment to keep residents safe, long-term and assisted care facilities now account for more than half of all Minnesota deaths attributed to COVID-19.
On Wednesday, St. Louis County reported 11 new cases of COVID-19 that are linked to the St. Ann's assisted living facility in Duluth.
All but two of the new cases are people in their 70s, 80s and 90s.
County officials are now warning that the virus appears to spreading in the community with no known source right now.
In the Twin Cities, some nursing home residents share concern over the spread of the coronavirus.
“I just trust that God's got me in the palm of his hand, and he is in control of all this,” said Connie Duffney, a resident at The Sanctuary at Brooklyn Center.
Last week, Duffney found out a resident at her assisted living facility tested positive for COVID-19.
Today, the 67-year-old with COPD and congestive heart failure says she is feeling symptoms.
“I've been a little stressed because my temperature has been gradually slowly raising. It's been about 99.8 several times now. We’re talking hospital. If I have any other symptoms and a 100 degree temperature, it's like, you're gone,” said Duffney.
While her case remains unclear, the spread of the disease in congregate care facilities is crystal clear in the numbers.
This includes memory care, assisted living, skilled nursing, and long-term care facilities.
According to the Minnesota Department of Health, there are more than 60 congregate care facilities with confirmed cases of COVID-19.
The health department has only publicly named 41 of them, which have ten or more residents, for privacy reasons.
Roughly eight percent of all known positive cases in Minnesota are from these facilities, yet these facilities account for more than half of all deaths attributed to COVID-19 thus far.
“Our calls are coming in more and more and our concerns are growing,” said Kris Sundberg, executive director of Elder Voice Family Advocates.
She says the industry is tightening safety measures at long-term care facilities, but she says many facilities don't have the equipment to follow the tighter rules.
“My biggest worry is the staff. The staff are going to be getting burned out, and some of the staff are getting sick and not able to come,” said Sundberg.
The new norm means families can't grieve by dying loved ones either.
Sundberg lost her aunt to dementia in assisted care last weekend.
“The entire family could never be with their mother in her final hours. You could imagine the heartache that goes along with not being able with the person who has loved you all your life,” said Sundberg.
For Duffney, in the meantime, it's rest and wait.
“It takes a lot of energy to worry. I don't have a lot of energy to spare right now. So we aren't going there,” said Duffney.
KARE 11’s coverage of the coronavirus is rooted in Facts, not Fear. Visit kare11.com/coronavirus for comprehensive coverage, find out what you need to know about the Midwest specifically, learn more about the symptoms, and see what companies in Minnesota are hiring. Have a question? Text it to us at 763-797-7215. And get the latest coronavirus updates sent right to your inbox every morning. Subscribe to the KARE 11 Sunrise newsletter here. Help local families in need: www.kare11.com/give11.
The state of Minnesota has set up a hotline for general questions about coronavirus at 651-201-3920 or 1-800-657-3903, available 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
There is also a data portal online at mn.gov/covid19.