5 Dead After COVID Outbreak At Cape Cod Nursing Home

SOUTH YARMOUTH, MA — An outbreak of COVID-19 at a Cape Cod nursing home has resulted in a number of deaths, the Boston Globe is reporting.

Five residents have died at Windsor Skilled Nursing and Rehab Center in South Yarmouth while over 90 additional people have gotten sick, according to the report.

A spokesperson for the Department of Public Health, who sent a rapid response team to the facility to try and provide assistance, told the Globe that the outbreak began as early as Feb. 21.

This weekend report comes after the Cape Cod Times reported Friday that four people had died as a result of the outbreak before the weekend.

As of that time, there were 72 active cases, while 15 people were no longer infectious.

"We are in communication with the Department of Public Health and their rapid response team is working with us; and we are doing everything that we should be doing, in response to the outbreak," Vice president of business development and marketing at Integritus Healthcare Lisa Gaudet said told the Cape Cod Times.

The numbers show that the outbreak grew over the weekend rather than shrinking, a worrisome trend on the Cape.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the COVID-19 community level is medium as of their March 2 update.

Cases were up as well according to an update on March 1, but it's unclear if this would account for the outbreak in Yarmouth. Data also shows a decline in positive tests, but those numbers were last updated on Feb. 28.