‘People in Sikeston need to be acting like they have it’

Positive cases of COVID-19 have been climbing fast in Scott County, but public health officials there have not wanted to identify any commonalities or locations. Since early this week, though, the Southeast Missourian has been receiving tips about an outbreak at the Sikeston Convalescent Center, which did not respond to phone calls. Friday morning we were able to confirm positive cases at the facility with family members of a resident, who will not be identified, along with others.

“We learned officially on Wednesday that 16 of 19 patients on the memory wing had tested positive,” said a family member, who referenced telephone calls and a letter to families from the center. “We don’t care from a blame perspective, but people in Sikeston need to be acting like they have it. From a humanitarian perspective, not taking this seriously is putting people at risk.”

According to our sources and a review of the Center’s website, the facility had been taking precautions to mitigate the risk to residents, including for several weeks restricting visitors and volunteers from the facility. A notice on the Center’s website explained, “We may only allow visitors for compassionate care reasons, such as end-of-life situations. This will be handled on a case-by-case basis. We will actively screen anyone who must visit for this purpose.”

“No guests have been allowed in for six weeks,” confirmed the family member. “So it was likely an employee or vendor who brought it in. We don’t know how they’re tracing. But, obviously, other people in the community have been exposed.”

Jon K. Rust is publisher of the Southeast Missourian and co-president of Rust Communications.