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Chandler nursing home confirms 4 people dead, dozens of residents, staff have COVID-19

Desert Cove Nursing Center is another long-term care facility where vulnerable people have died of COVID-19.

CHANDLER, Ariz — A Chandler care facility confirmed that four people died and dozens of residents and staff tested positive for COVID-19.

The Desert Cove Nursing Center said 40 residents tested positive, four of which died, the nursing home said. Seven of the individuals are being taken care of in a hospital while the other 29 remain isolated in the facility, still receiving care.

The center also stated that 13 of its associates have also tested positive.

“Our primary concern is for the health and safety of our residents, nursing staff and other care providers,” Timothy Bouseman, the executive director of the nursing center, said. “They are putting in heroic efforts to ensure that our patients are receiving the best care.”

The facility was following guidelines from both state and federal authorities, along with the CDC, Bouseman said in the emailed statement.

“We remain committed to providing quality care as we fight COVID-19,” Bouseman said.

12 News examined federal data finding 50 facilities in Arizona have been cited in the last three years by Medicare for lacking an infection prevention and control program. Desert Cove Nursing Center had two deficiencies in that category in both 2018 and 2019. According to the database, all 50 of the facilities that were cited have since corrected the issues.

Other assisted living facilities and long term care facilities in the East Valley were having virus outbreaks. Last week, Pennington Gardens in Chandler reported that 13 residents died.

There were also dozens of cases at Avenir Memory Care in Chandler.

As of Thursday afternoon, a separate Tempe facility told family members in a text "there are now 29 residents residing in our care center and 15 living in Tivoli Memory care who have been diagnosed with the Coronavirus." 

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