No outbreak at East Pavilion, VDH confirms

Published 11:21 am Tuesday, July 7, 2020

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FRANKLIN

The Virginia Department of Health currently lists an eighth long-term care facility outbreak of the COVID-19 virus in its Western Tidewater Health District, but district officials now say this is inaccurate.

According to Dr. Todd Wagner, health district director, VDH personnel had attributed a number of confirmed cases incorrectly to the East Pavilion nursing home in Franklin.

“The data on the VDH websites is preliminary, and can, and often does change once posted as corrections are made for various reasons,” Wagner said. “One outbreak from the district should come off as early as tomorrow, or perhaps the next day.”

At present, the nursing home has has seen only one confirmed positive case — a staff member — according to Jenna Green, a spokeswoman for Bon Secours Southampton Memorial Hospital, which runs East Pavilion. Green added that the employee who tested positive has been quarantined since mid-June.

The facility tested all residents and employees on June 25 and all came back negative, she said.

As of June 25, Franklin had a total of 46 confirmed cases, three of which were hospitalized, and two of which had died. As of Tuesday, Franklin’s caseload stood at 58, with four hospitalized and no new deaths.