At least 59 patients, workers test positive for COVID at rehab center, NC officials say
Dozens of coronavirus cases have been linked to a rehab center in North Carolina, officials said.
At least 59 people — 41 patients and 18 workers — have tested positive for COVID-19, the Carolina Rehab Center of Cumberland said online.
The current cases mean a total of 143 infections have been tied to the Fayetteville center since May 2020, according to data shared on the website of its parent company, Medical Facilities of America.
The figures were published Dec. 22, a day after the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services in its most recent update reported 87 cases at the center. The list of ongoing outbreaks said the counts were preliminary and “subject to change.”
“Time is required to determine whether a given COVID-19 case is associated with a congregate living setting, gather follow-up information, and enter it,” the state health department said in its report.
Carolina Rehab Center of Cumberland is in Fayetteville, roughly 12 miles south of the Fort Bragg military base. A webpage for the facility says it has programs for “cardiac patients, orthopedic patients, as well as patients with more of a long-term stay.”
Officials said families are notified when patients test positive for COVID-19, and case counts can fluctuate when patients are sent home. Jennifer Green, Cumberland County Health Department director, said her department helps to provide COVID-19 tests and makes sure facilities have personal protective equipment after outbreaks are reported, according to The Fayetteville Observer.
During the coronavirus pandemic, the center said visitors are encouraged to wear face masks, practice social distancing, wash their hands and meet outside even if they’re vaccinated against COVID-19.
Recently, concerns about the omicron variant have led experts to urge caution as North Carolinians prepare to gather for Christmas. Health officials have encouraged people to get COVID-19 vaccines and booster doses, if eligible, The News & Observer reported.
On the Dec. 21 statewide list, the Carolina Rehab Center of Cumberland marked the second-largest ongoing outbreak in its congregate living center category. At least 193 cases were at O’Berry Neuro-Medical Treatment Center in Wayne County.
This story was originally published December 22, 2021 at 1:59 PM with the headline "At least 59 patients, workers test positive for COVID at rehab center, NC officials say."
