GRANGER, Iowa — The number of positive cases of COVID-19 reported among the residents and staff of the Granger Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Granger has doubled from 22 to 44 since the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced the outbreak April 28.
The Granger outbreak at the long-term care facility was the second in Dallas County. The IDPH reported a 12-case outbreak at the Pearl Valley Rehabilitation and Nursing in Perry April 27.
The Granger facility posted a statement Friday on its Facebook page: “As of May 8, we have 29 positive residents and 13 negative residents. There are also 14 staff who have tested positive and 46 staff who are negative. The last date of work for a positive testing staff member was April 29. All staff members who either tested positive or exhibit symptoms are currently not working.”
The statement said the facility is divided into two sections — COVID-19 negative and COVID-19 positive — and each section has a dedicated staff and separate staff dressing rooms and meal areas.
“We remain in close contact with the Dallas County Health Department, the Polk County Health Department, the Iowa Health Care Association and both Mercy and UnityPoint Healthcare systems, and are grateful for the opportunity to combat this virus through facility-wide testing,” the statement said.
The 67-bed Granger Nursing facility at 2001 Kennedy St. was built in 1978. There were 57 residents as of December 2019, according to state records.
Twenty-eight long-term care facilities in Iowa have now reported 1,029 positive cases of COVID-19, and the novel coronavirus is especially dangerous for elderly residents and those whose health was previously compromised. About 50% of the 243 COVID-19 deaths in Iowa is composed of residents of long-term care facilities.
