KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Sixteen residents and one staff member have died due to a COVID-19 outbreak at a nursing home in eastern Tennessee.
The Knoxville News Sentinel reports that more than two-fifths of The Heritage Center’s residents have tested positive for the new coronavirus. Meanwhile, a fourth of the residents who have tested positive have died.
“We mourn the loss of these residents and associates,” said Executive Director Scott Hunt in a statement Friday. “They were part of our family, and their passing has left a hole in our heart.”
According to information provided by the nursing home, 46 residents have recovered. One resident remains at the hospital.
Separately, 43 staff members have recovered after testing positive for the disease. Seven continue to stay at home.
The deaths at The Heritage Center marks the second deadliest outbreak in eastern Tennessee, where Signature Healthcare of Greeneville reported 20 resident deaths earlier this year.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks, and the majority of people recover.
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