ITHACA, N.Y.—A third resident of the Oak Hill Manor Nursing Home has died as a result of COVID-19 as the pandemic’s most virulent wave locally continues.
The death was announced by the Tompkins County Health Department on Sunday evening, accompanied by a statement from Public Health Director Frank Kruppa. It is the fourth in Tompkins County since the pandemic began, and the third reported this week.
“We were notified today of the passing of a resident at Oak Hill Nursing Home,” Kruppa said. “Our thoughts are with the family and with all of those recovering from the disease. We’re seeing the highest levels of community spread in Tompkins County since the beginning of the pandemic. It’s imperative that we all carefully consider our actions to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and to keep one another healthy.”
No other details were released about the person who died Sunday. Two others have died at the nursing home over the last week, both as a result of the coronavirus. As of Friday, 52 people had tested positive at the nursing home, 39 residents and 13 staff members, the largest single cluster in Tompkins County so far. The New York State Department of Health, not the Tompkins County Health Department, is handling the contact tracing and subsequent investigations since the outbreak is taking place in a nursing home.
Thirteen new cases of coronavirus were reported Sunday, with 21 recoveries, meaning there are 179 active cases in Tompkins County. Nine people are hospitalized.