POMPANO BEACH, Fla. – Two skilled nursing residents of The Court at Palm Aire in Pompano Beach have died due to complications related to the new coronavirus, a spokesperson for the community told Local 10 News in a statement Tuesday.
According to the statement, both residents had been hospitalized on April 7.
“Each and every resident of our community is a valued member of our Court of Palm Aire family, and our hearts go out to their families and loved ones during this difficult time,” the statement read. “Our residents, their family members and our team members in the community have been informed.”
According to the spokesperson, six skilled nursing residents were sent to the hospital in the last week with symptoms of the virus, five of whom tested positive for COVID-19.
Five of the residents remain hospitalized and the sixth is in quarantine in the facility’s skilled nursing facility.
“The health and safety of our residents is our number one priority and we continue to work closely with local health officials,” the spokesperson said. “Consistent with the recommendations of and directives by the CDC, as well as federal, state and local regulatory agencies, we have implemented a number of protocols and precautionary measures throughout our communities.”
The spokesperson said staff members and residents are monitored daily for signs and symptoms of the coronavirus, including getting regular temperature checks.
“We continue to engage with local health officials in Pompano Beach and are following all appropriate guidelines to mitigate the spread of the virus,” the statement read. “We thank our team members, residents and their families for their vigilance and understanding as we continue to navigate this challenging situation.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Monday that National Guard personnel are being dispatched to assisted living facilities and nursing homes across Florida with COVID-19 cases to test residents and staff members for the virus.
“They have already visited and tested I believe hundreds of residents in South Florida with the National Guard Strike team,” the governor said. “We are going to expand that to have 10 teams of four and we’ll probably expand it beyond there.”