Second nursing home in Lockhart reports COVID cases
Editor’s note: this story was update on Jan. 15 at 5:36pm to include a statement from HHS.
By Kristen Meriwether, Editor LPR
Parkview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Lockhart has multiple cases of COVID at the facility—but the actual number remains unclear.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) data for the week ending Jan. 3 shows 24 residents confirmed to have COVID. When you call the COVID status hotline listed on the Parkview website, it says they currently have 15 positive cases: 10 residents, and five staff. A date of those numbers is not given. On Jan. 14 Caldwell County officials were told Parkview has 15 positive cases: 13 residents, and two staff.
LPR contacted Parkview to get a clarification of the numbers but were not given a specific number of cases, or the total number of residents at the facility.
“The staff and leadership at Parkview Nursing and Rehab is doing everything within its power to fight this insidious virus, which is not only ravaging the long-term care community but the remainder of our population as well,” an emailed statement said. “We continue to see the number of recovered residents increasing, indicating that our approved infection control processes are effective.”
This is the second nursing home in Lockhart with multiple residents infected with COVID. Chisolm Trail Healthcare and Rehabilitation reported 51 positive cases on their website on Jan. 14. As with Chisolm Trail, the county was not notified of any issues within Parkview.
Nursing homes and long-term care facilities are not required to notify county officials of COVID cases, however, if notified the Caldwell County Office of Emergency Management could offer assistance such as additional PPE or help to disinfect the facility.
The Texas Health and Human Services regulate nursing homes and long-term care facilities in the state. In a statement to LPR on Jan. 15 a press officer with the agency said they were aware of the cases at Parkview and Chisolm Trail.
“These facilities have been in contact with us and notified us of increases in their residents testing positive for COVID-19,” an emailed statement from a press officer said. “Both of these facilities have requested disinfection teams, and we are working with them to coordinate their requests for assistance.”
LPR asked Parkview how many COVID vaccines staff and residents had received.
“We received vaccine on 1/11/2021 for our residents and staff,” Ying Collingwood said by email.
Emails asking for a specific number of staff and residents vaccinated was not returned.
Please stay on this place. My mother is in there. It makes ZERO sense to me that they wouldn’t ask for help. My mother is in a roommate situation–with 2 little twin beds…she’s NOT the bed by the window and quarantined in her room like everybody else. It would seem like they would welcome help sanitizing–help doing anything.