UPDATE: The state made changes to the numbers for some of these facilities on Friday, a day after we originally published this story. We have updated it to reflect the data now being shared by the state.
After issuing an order that requires long-term care facilities in Ohio to notify residents and families within 24 hours if a resident or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, the state has started documenting cases online, revealing the locations where small to large-scale coronavirus outbreaks have occurred.
Altercare of Alliance in Stark County reports 55 total COVID-19 cases and ManorCare Health Services in Parma has reported 36 total cases. Yesterday the state said ManorCare had 63 cases. Melanie Amato of the Ohio Department of Health said this was a data entry error. Dozens of other facilities in Northeast Ohio have reported cases as well, according to the website.
The state said the numbers will be updated once a week, on Wednesdays at 2 p.m.
It's important to note that the cases listed on the website may include individuals who have already been discharged from hospitals and are in recovery, as well as past cases.
While the state has started to release the long-term care facility numbers, Peter Van Runkle, who represents the nursing home industry, disputed the state's findings on Thursday, before the state revised them.
"There have been a number of errors our members have reported," said Van Runkle, Executive Director of the Ohio Health Care Association. "In some cases there were facilities listed where they said they don’t have any cases. In other situations we had members say they had a different number of cases then were reported."
Van Runkle wants the Ohio Department of Health to stop publishing the numbers until their accuracy is confirmed.
"We’ve asked them to take it down until we can verify it’s all correct so consumers aren’t given misleading data," he said.
The Ohio Department of Health issued the following statement in regards to the long-term care facility information given to the state:
The Ohio Department of Health is looking at the data and will continue to work with the local health department and long term care facilities to make sure it is accurate or to fix any reporting issues.
You can view the state's dashboard here.
RELATED: Ohio order requires nursing homes to report COVID-19 cases within 24 hours to residents, family
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