MONTICELLO, Fla.(WTXL) — At least 1,000 people who live or work in Florida nursing homes have tested positive for COVID-19.
Now, two Jefferson County administrators are on leave following their response to the coronavirus.
Florida health officials say staff at Cross Landings nursing home in Monticello, haven't been taking enough precautions from the coronavirus.
Documents show that both Mark Daniels, Cross Landings head administrator, and Sebrina Cameron, the regional nursing home administrator for Cross Landings’ parent company, put the lives of patients at risk, violation after violation.
The Florida Department of Health has now ordered the emergency license suspensions of Cross Landings Health and Rehabilitation Center administrator Mark Daniels -- and regional administrator Sebrina Cameron.
An investigation went underway last week after eight positive cases of COVID-19 were confirmed at the facilities.
Documents show the two failed to cooperate with team recommendations, provide staff and patients with personal protective equipment, and properly isolate those that were sick.
Investigators saw staff failing to sanitize thermometers, leaving patients unclean in soiled underwear, nurses without masks, wearing masks improperly or wearing soiled masks, and claim Daniels refused to give them N95 masks.
All these actions ultimately lead to the death of 93-year-old Eva Catherine Cline, who tested positive for coronavirus late last week.
Cline was a retired clerk for the Florida Department of Natural Resources, and a grandmother of 29.
Family says they don't blame the nursing home, but those administrators in charge.
State surgeon general Scott Rivkees signed the letter April 17, calling it an "immediate, serious danger to health, safety and welfare."
Florida Health Care Association's Executive Director Emmett Reed issued the following statement.
“If the account in the news media is accurate, it is heartbreaking and frustrating that our elderly residents were subject to those shameful conditions by this operator. FHCA has hundreds of members whose top priority, always, is excellent care and the well-being of their residents. We want to tell Floridians the rest of the story where our state regulators worked in cooperation with other long term care providers to take assertive action against this facility, not an FHCA member, whose reported actions would harm the good name of so many nursing home caregivers who are doing such exceptional work every day. Floridians are fortunate that conditions like those reported are the extreme exception in Florida."
An employee at Cross Landings declined to make a comment to ABC 27.
