A New York City nursing home is combating an outbreak that has killed 24 people, after it began taking in recovering COVID-19 patients from area hospitals, according to NBC News.
Gurwin Jewish Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Long Island began taking in recovering coronavirus patients at the end of March after a state mandate was issued requiring nursing homes to take in patients recovering from the disease caused by the virus.
The nursing home is now in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak that has resulted in 24 deaths among residents and staff members.
Though it is not certain that the outbreak started because of the recovering coronavirus patients,, "it's certainly not helping the situation," Stuart Almer, the nursing home's president and CEO told NBC News.
Nursing homes as well as public health experts are criticizing state mandates in New York, New Jersey and California — three of the hardest hit states during this pandemic — that require nursing homes to take in recovering COVID-19 patients.
California eased its mandate April 1, after pushback, stating that nursing homes can be expected to take in coronavirus patients only if they have enough personal protective equipment and can follow federal infection control guidelines.
"Nursing homes are working so hard to keep the virus out, and now we’re going to be introducing new COVID-positive patients?" David Grabowski, PhD, a professor of health policy at Harvard Medical School in Boston told NBC News.
Instead, states should create facilities dedicated to care for recovering COVID-19 patients discharged from hospitals, he said, according to the report.