Unified-Command Releases New Data, Special Report on Nursing Homes

Nashville, Tenn. -- Today, Tennessee’s COVID-19 Unified-Command Group released new data on COVID-19 in the state’s long-term care facilities and outlined its action plan on how to prevent further cases and mitigate existing clusters within these facilities. Starting today, the Tennessee Department of Health will report the number of confirmed cases and COVID-19-related fatalities in all long-term care facilities across the state. The Department’s website will be updated every Friday at 2 p.m. CDT to provide this data.

“This data and report give a clear picture on the risks that the virus poses to long-term care facilities and the aggressive actions the state has taken and will continue to take to protect residents and staff,” said Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey. “We take our duties to protect both public health and patient privacy very seriously. Based upon the current development of the COVID-19 situation in Tennessee, the Department has determined that releasing this data is in the public health interest. Unified-Command stands at the ready to assist long-term care facilities in mitigating outbreaks amongst residents and staff.”

Department of Health Action Plan for Long Term Care Facilities

The Department of Health provides detailed plans in the attached report on how they work with long-term care facilities to protect residents and staff from COVID-19 and mitigate outbreaks. The action plans include:

• Immediate notification of public health department of a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases in residents or staff;
• Immediate facility notification of residents and their representatives of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases inside the facility;
• Robust and swift information gathering by Department staff in concert with the facility to determine:
  • Personal protective equipment and environmental cleaning needs;
  • The need for targeted or widespread testing of residents and staff;
  • Whether positive residents can cohort within the facility or must be relocated to hospitals for greater medical care
• Ongoing investigation and contact tracing by Department staff, facility cleaning, and daily situation updates with the facility to ensure the facility is safe for residents and staff.

Full details on the action plan can be found in the attached pdf.

As of 2:00 p.m. CDT Wednesday April 22, there are 375 total confirmed cases and 37 confirmed fatalities among residents and staff across 22 long-term care facilities in Tennessee. A breakdown of cases and fatalities per facility can be found below: