Health department working with Hallmark Living to contain COVID-19
BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. -- Three residents of Hallmark Living Benton Harbor with COVID-19 have died. The Berrien County Health Department is working with the facility to keep the residents and employees safe and stop the spread.
"They are taking a lot of extra precautions including quarantining really all residents making sure that those who had exposure to the COVID positive individuals are doing that, monitoring for any potential symptoms, that includes staff as well," Said Gillian Conrad of the Berrien County Health Department.
Conrad says even with all the precautions being taken at the facility on East Empire Avenue nothing is foolproof.
"We know that there's a possibility that there could be asymptomatic carriers at any time a staff member could unknowingly be bringing the virus into one of these facilities," Conrad said. "Just having one person bring in the virus could spread like wildfire and it could be a very high risk and dangerous situation for the people who are living there."
Long term care facilities are in desperate need of personal protection equipment like masks and gloves. Any donations would help residents and employees.