AURORA, Colo. — The COVID-19 outbreak has struck two Aurora nursing homes especially hard.
The Cherry Creek Nursing Center, located at 14699 E Hampden Ave, and Juniper Village at Aurora, located at 11901 E Mississippi Ave, have combined seen at least 19 deaths related to the virus, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).
There have been 19 deaths in the past couple of weeks at Cherry Creek Nursing Center. However, only 11 of those deaths have been confirmed to be COVID-19 related, according to Joe Gimenez, a spokesperson for the nursing center. Juniper Village has reported eight deaths, five of which have been confirmed as related to COVID-19. The coroner considers the remaining three deaths as probable cases of COVID-19, according to the CDPHE.
A lab has confirmed that 33 of 46 residents and 16 of 25 staff members at Juniper Village are positive for COVID-19. The number of positive cases at Cherry Creek Nursing Center is unkown.
The Cherry Creek Nursing Center has 159 residents and is one of the largest facilities of its kind in the state. Gimenez said the center is collaborating closely with the Tri-County Health Department to protect residents and staff. The center is minimizing social contact, ending communal dining and group activities, and promoting handwashing, according to Gimenez. The Aurora nursing home is also monitoring residents showing possible symptoms, and closing the center to visitors.
The investigation at Juniper Village began on March 27 when epidemiologists from Tri-County Health Department notified CDPHE that their local investigations of positive COVID-19 cases included several health care workers from the facility, according to a CDPHE release. Since that time, a team conducted a number of virtual consultations with Juniper Village, which included assessing the facility’s current practices and providing technical assistance and support regarding infection prevention, use of personal protective equipment, and staffing recommendations.
There have been more than 50 outbreaks of the novel coronavirus at residential and non-hospital health care facilities since COVID-19 arrived in Colorado a little more than a month ago.
Data from the Colorado Department of Health and Environment (CDPHE) obtained by Denver7 Thursday shows 14 of Colorado’s 64 counties reported having an outbreak in their facility, which could be anything from nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, to assisted living residences and other residential settings.
Beginning Wednesday, the CDPHE will begin releasing more details on confirmed outbreaks, including facility name, number of confirmed positive cases among staff and residents, and total confirmed deaths related to COVID-19. Information will be updated every Wednesday on the state’s COVID-19 website .
