Testing moves ahead at 2 St. Mary nursing facilities

Fifty-four residents of Legacy of Franklin have now tested positive for COVID-19, and the last Legacy residents who hadn’t been tested now have sent samples at the lab.

The number of deaths among Legacy residents remained at 13, St. Mary Coroner Eric Melancon said Monday.

Meanwhile, one resident and an employee at Patterson Healthcare have tested positive, but follow-up measures offer the hope that the disease is under control there.

At Legacy, Melancon and Investigator Aimee Guidroz administered tests on the last 49 residents who hadn’t been tested on Sunday.

An investigation began at Patterson Healthcare after a resident tested positive April 26 at Ochsner St. Mary. The resident had come from the New Orleans area to Patterson Healthcare 29 days earlier, Melancon said

The resident displayed no symptoms, but the facility followed the Centers for Disease Control recommendation of 14 days of isolation. The resident is being retested at Ochsner St. Mary, Melancon said.

Patterson Healthcare is also testing 30% of its 97 residents and 30% of its 102 employees, Melancon said.

Sixteen residents have been tested, resulting in eight negatives and eight pending with 13 residents still to be tested.

Eighteen staff members have been tested, resulting in six negatives, 12 pending and 12 left to test

An employee who was COVID-19 positive reported body aches to a supervisor by phone and was told to seek medical treatment. That's when the employee tested positive.

“PHC’s own investigation led them to believe that the positive employee had no recent contact with the positive resident and the two do not appear related,” Melancon said.

Also Monday, Melancon said he, Homeland Security Director David Naquin and Sheriff Blaise Smith arranged for the testing of 102 first responders, also following CDC guidelines.