MACON, Ga. — PruittHealth is now reporting 76 positive COVID-19 cases at one of their Macon homes.
That's according to a COVID-19 statistics tracker on their website. It shows data for all of their homes across the southeast.
Their data shows 192 patients total at the Anthony Road facility, with 68 positive tests, 113 negative tests, and 11 tests that are still pending.
8 staff members have also tested positive for COVID-19.
The facility went on lock down last month and won't allow any outside visitors, like Dwayne Long. His 82-year-old mother was placed in hospice care at this PruittHealth location about a month ago.
Long says she has COPD, high blood pressure, Alzheimer's, and is a cancer survivor.
On Monday someone from Pruitt called to tell Long his mother tested positive for coronavirus, but he couldn't get any answers about her condition for nearly two days.
"I understand this is a mess. I understand they are in a mess, but this information—no information—is not the way to handle this," says Long.
He's worried that COVID-19 could be a "death sentence" for his mom.
Long says he finally got a call from PruittHealth late Wednesday reporting that a hospice administrator personally checked on his mother and reported that she was still without COVID-19 symptoms.
13WMAZ's Chelsea Beimfohr also spoke to another woman over the phone Wednesday who says she's in the same situation. Her 83-year-old brother with a lung condition has also tested positive for COVID-19, but she can't get anyone on the phone to give her more information.
PruittHealth representative, Tonja Bridges, says they notified all employees and patients who were recently in contact with the infected individuals. She said they recommended that those people contact a physician and self-quarantine.
They're also increasing the stock of food, supplies, and medication on hand to care for patients.
According to Bridges, the Georgia National Guard has already cleaned the Anthony Road facility twice.
PruittHealth is asking any employee, patient, or family member with questions to contact their Emergency Operations Center at 855-742-5983.
PruittHealth also has other locations in Bibb County and across Central Georgia.
The Eastside and Peake homes in Bibb County have no reported cases, according to PruittHealth's site, but the state's data shows one case at each.
Here are statistics for other homes in Central Georgia as of Wednesday morning:
- Data shows the Georgia War Veterans Home in Baldwin County has two positive cases and 106 negative cases.
- 2 Monroe County locations show no reported cases.
- One home in Toomsboro in Wilkinson County shows no reported cases.
On Sunday, the state released numbers for nursing homes, but their data didn't match PruittHealth's.
At that time, the state said the Anthony Road location had only one case, while PruittHealth was reporting 24.
When 13WMAZ asked the North Central Health District why the numbers from the state were different than what PruittHealth was reporting, they told us that was a question for the governor's office.
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