KANSAS CITY, Mo. — At least 26 people have died from COVID-19 at long-term care facilities in Johnson County, according to data from the county’s Department of Health and Environment.
There also have outbreaks of at least six positive cases at seven different Johnson County long-term care facilities.
“Johnson County Department of Health and Environment (JCDHE) continues to work closely with long term care facilities in the county, surveying them on an on-going basis to identify the possible spread of the disease and working with the facilities to prevent further illness,” according to the county’s website.
Overall, a total of 114 of Johnson County’s confirmed coronavirus cases, including 26 of the county’s 37 deaths, have been identified at 15 nursing homes.
“The positive cases have a known source of infection and facilities are conducting isolation and containment measures,” the county website says.
The virus has been most prevalent at Forest Creek Memory Care in Overland Park, where the county has identified 24 positive cases and seven deaths among residents and staff.
If there is a measure of good news, no new cases have been identified at the facility since April 16.
There have been 21 infections and three deaths attributed to the coronavirus at Brighton Gardens of Prairie Village, where the most recent case was identified Tuesday, according to county data.
Another Overland Park facility, Stratford Commons Rehabilitation & Health Care has been the site of 20 cases and three deaths, while there have been 14 cases and four deaths at Homestead of Olathe Memory Care.
Stratford Commons hasn’t had any new cases since April 18, while county data shows no new cases at Homestead since April 12.
Lakeview Village Independent Living was the location of one of the worst early outbreaks. There were 10 infections and three deaths at the Lenexa facility, but the last onset of a COVID-19 case was March 30.
Six positive cases were identified among residents and staff at both Advanced Health Care Overland Park, where one person has died, and Sunrise of Leawood, where three people died.
The most recent case at Advanced Health Care was diagnosed Tuesday, while there hasn’t been a new case at the Sunrise facility since April 8.
Multiple positive coronavirus cases also have been found at four other long-term care facilities in Johnson County, including the (last date of onset):
- Brookdale Rosehill in Shawnee, three cases and no deaths (April 16)
- Garden Terrace at Overland Park, two cases and no deaths (April 20)
- Sunrise of Lenexa, two cases and one death (April 1)
- Village Shalom in Overland Park (April 3)
Older adults, especially those over age 65, and people with underlying health conditions are more vulnerable to severe illness from the coronavirus, which is one reason long-term care facilities require additional monitoring and precautions.
“JCDHE will increase testing capacity within long term care facilities as testing supplies and resources become available,” the county website says.
There are approximately 150 nursing homes or long-term care facilities in Johnson County, where roughly 20,000 people reside, according to the county’s Area Agency on Aging.