COVID-19 cases at Jefferson City nursing home exceed 50

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Many of the residents sick with COVID-19 at a Jefferson City nursing home are asymptomatic or have recovered, the home's owners said as cases inside exceeded 50.

As of Friday, 52 residents and 35 workers at the Jefferson City Manor skilled nursing home had active cases of COVID-19. Three residents have died since testing positive.

Missouri Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe and the company that operates Jefferson City Manor both responded to the worsening outbreak on Friday.

The appointed lieutenant governor and advocate for the elderly said the outbreak is an example of how quickly coronavirus can spread.

"The rapid spread of COVID in JC Manor reminds us just how quickly this virus can be transmitted in an enclosed environment and amongst a vulnerable population," Kehoe said.

He said multiple state health and emergency response teams treated residents at the nursing home.

A statement from JMS Senior Living, the company that runs Jefferson City Manor, said new COVID-19 cases at the facility were confirmed after a recent round of testing.

JMS said all residents with active cases are being isolated in their rooms and will continue to be cared for.

“Most of these residents continue to be asymptomatic, and many residents who tested positive last week are seeing improvement," the company said in a statement. "We continue to monitor all positive residents for new signs and symptoms and treat them accordingly."

The company said weekly COVID-19 testing at the facility will continue until it has gone two consecutive weeks without any positive cases.

The 63 residents have been tested at least 250 times, the company said. The first results came back on Aug. 13.

Residents and staff members have been screened daily for COVID-19 since the pandemic started, according to JMS.