A third of the staff at Tallahassee Developmental Center have tested positive for COVID-19 along with several residents. It's the largest cluster of cases in Leon County.
Out of 60 residents at TDC, 35 tested positive for coronavirus. Out of the remaining 25, 13 have been moved to a separate facility and the other 12 are waiting for follow-up testing before being relocated. One resident, a 62-year-old man with severe underlying health issues has died.
The Center’s Chief Operating Officer Kim Faustin, says all residents and staff have now been tested.
Faustin says the center has received help from the community. Tallahassee Memorial Hospital and Capital Regional Health Center provided registered nurses and Northwest Coast Baptist Association of Panama City provided portable showers for the residents’ new location.
Center officials say they doesn’t know how COVID-19 managed to get into the facility. A spokesperson said it has " long prohibited non-essential people and families from visiting. Staff and essential personnel have their temperatures taken and fill out a questionnaire designed to expose risk factors before entering."
According to the latest reports from the state, more than 20% of coronavirus cases are in long-term care facilities like nursing homes and assisted living.
*Correction: This story has been updated to reflect the accurate number of COVID-19 cases in the Tallahassee Developmental Center. The original version of this story stated 181 cases. That was based off a typo in the data sent by the TDC. 80 staff and residents have tested positive for coronavirus.
