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At least 15 Central State Hospital staff members have tested positive for COVID-19

The Georgia National Guard's Infection Control Team began decontaminating the hospital Thursday

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — More than a dozen staff members have now been affected by an outbreak of COVID-19 at Central State Hospital.

According to a news release from Georgia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD), as of April 8, a total of 15 staff and one patient at the hospital have tested positive for coronavirus since the pandemic began.

The Georgia National Guard's Infection Control Team arrived and began decontamination on Thursday.

The hospital came under fire from employees last week after a nurse, 53-year-old Mark DeLong, died from complications due to coronavirus.

In a 13WMAZ Verify story from April 1, employees said hospital administration refused to let them wear PPE.

They were sent an email telling them not to wear masks and other PPE, saying it violated their dress code policy.

After DeLong’s death, administrators then told staff they could bring their own PPE in to the hospital.

Cases where a healthcare worker is treating a COVID-19 patient or someone who is believed to have those symptoms is when full PPE is recommended.

In a statement from April 6, the DBHDD says their top priority is the safety and wellbeing of staff and people they serve.

They say they do not have a large reserve of PPE and are working with GEMA and the Department of Public Health to replenish the supply.

Additionally, they are:

  • Screening employees as they enter the building,
  • Testing staff who are symptomatic, 
  • Trained staff on how to wear PPE properly,
  • Stopped all non-emergency admissions, 
  • Restricted sharing staff between buildings and designated an isolation unit,
  • Decontaminating every hospital unit weekly

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