MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Gov. Tim Walz outlined a “battle plan” Thursday to keep Minnesota long-term care residents and workers safe against COVID-19, which so far has claimed the lives of more than 400 residents of nursing homes or assisted-living facilities in the state.
Walz told reporters that the state is “prepared to go very much on the offensive” to reduce illnesses and deaths at nursing homes, where residents are more susceptible to the coronavirus because of age, underlying medical conditions and close quarters.
Walz, whose mother was a licensed practical nurse at a nursing home, said Minnesota is prepared to go “full force” on “a battle plan about dealing with these long-term care facilities - reducing the death, reducing the infections and tackling this.”
His plan includes expanded testing for the coronavirus for residents and workers at long-term care facilities, creating “strike teams” to quickly conduct on-site testing, getting personal protective equipment for facilities facing outbreaks, activating the Minnesota National Guard to maintain staffing levels and requiring facilities to exclude sick workers and those testing positive.
State health officials on Thursday said another 17 residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities have died. Minnesota’s COVID-190 death toll rose 23 on Thursday to 508. Of the total number of deaths, 407 people lived in long-term care or assisted-living facilities.
In addition, 786 people have tested positive since Wednesday, bring the number of coronavirus cases in Minnesota to 9,365.
State Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said less than 1% of Minnesota’s population lives in long-term care facilities but that 15% of the state’s COVID-19 cases and 80% of deaths are among residents of long-term care.
A suburban Minneapolis nursing home that has been a repeat violator of care standards became the site of one of the state’s largest coronavirus outbreaks with 44 deaths and another 68 residents sickened by COVID-19.
North Ridge Health and Rehab in New Hope said it has a large number of infections because of the size of the facility, which is home to about 300 residents, making it the largest long-term care facility in the state.
North Ridge has struggled to meet care standards in the past. The facility has been fined $117,000 by federal regulators and cited for dozens of health and safety violations over the last three years, the Star Tribune reported.
Only one other senior facility in the state has seen more fatalities from the virus.
St. Therese of New Hope reported last week that 47 of its residents had died from complications of the disease, the most at any Minnesota facility. It also said 130 residents of the 258-bed skilled nursing facility had tested positive.
State Sen. Karin Housley of St. Marys Point, the Senate GOP’s point person on elder care, said she was glad to see the Democratic Walz administration renewing its focus on long-term care facilities.
“Some of these facilities are currently treating more COVID-19 patients than hospitals. I am pleased to finally see concrete plans from the administration for addressing these challenges,” Housley said in a statement.
Walz’s plan was supported by the Long-Term Care Imperative, representing Minnesota nursing homes and assisted-living facilities.
“Senior care providers, who are actively working to prevent and mitigate coronavirus in their settings, welcome the news of this action plan and stand ready to implement its recommendations,” said Gayle Kvenvold, president and CEO of LeadingAge Minnesota.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death.
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