ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — At least five people have died following a COVID-19 outbreak at an Orange County nursing home where nearly 100 people tested positive.
But Fred Griffin said more than a week after those deaths were reported, he still has no idea whether his wife, Ivy, who lives at the Ocoee Health Care Center, has tested positive for the virus even after her roommate died from it.
“I’m just sad because they keep giving me the runaround about your loved one. What if it was their loved one in the place of mine? Come on,” he said.
His wife’s roommate Farices Holmes died from the virus last week.
Griffin said he just wants to know if his wife has COVID-19 or not.
“I’m really angry. But there’s nothing I can do,” he said.
READ: COVID-19 outbreak reported in Ocoee assisted living facility
After several days of calling the facility and trying to get answers, Griffin said he finally got Ivy on the phone.
He said she was coughing and that he's very worried about her.
Channel 9 reached out several times to the nursing home for a response to the concerns many families have, but have not heard back.
The facility supplied the following statement regarding the situation last week:
“We appreciate your interest to report on the current Covid 19 activity at Ocoee Healthcare Center, however, this continues to be a very fluid situation. We are continuing to work closely with Local, State and Federal agencies to deal with this ever changing situation. At this point, all residents and active staff members have been tested for the virus. Ocoee Healthcare’s dedicated health care professionals have implemented protocols to isolate those residents and staff that have tested positive for the virus from the general population. The facility has dedicated various wings of the facility solely to treat the Covid positive residents, implemented extensive cleaning procedures, and contained the remaining residents in their rooms. The facility has been in contact with resident family members to apprise them of the situation. Ocoee Healthcare Center is proud of their dedicated staff and their efforts to halt the progress of this virus and would like to express our deepest sympathies to those families or residents lost and affected by the virus at Ocoee Healthcare Center. Ocoee Healthcare, in coordination with State and Federal Officials, will continue to fight for the health and safety of our residents and staff during these trying times.”
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