(4/16/2020) - Long-term care facilities have become a hot spot for the number of positive coronavirus cases in our most vulnerable population in Michigan and across the country.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer said she knows this is a really hard time for the state's aging population and their families.

In response, she signed an executive order Wednesday to further protect the health and safety of both employees and residents.

"The executive order that I signed protects residents from being evicted and protects employees right to stay home to mitigate the risk of infecting others," she said. "The order uses CDC guidelines to establish precautionary measures within long term care facilities to help us mitigate the spread."

The Genesee County Health Department is keeping in close contact with the 15 long-term care facilities in the county.

Health Director John McKellar confirmed four people who lived at the Regency at Grand Blanc have passed away. 12 others have tested positive.

He added, at this point, there is at least once positive case of COVID-19 in all of the county's 15 nursing homes.

"It's alarming; but, as I talk with colleagues across the state, it's not an unusual situation," McKellar said.

He believes the Regency is the facility with the highest number of cases in Genesee County right now. McKellar said they've been cooperative as the Health Department provides guidance to them during this time.

"They're doing everything that is advised. It's just, it's just difficult in a setting like that where everybody's in close quarters -- and already ill or they wouldn't be there -- to manage infection once it gets started," he explained.

McKellar admitted a lack of personal protection equipment is one of the main reasons the virus is spreading so quickly. Our newsroom has been flooded with complaints about this very issue at other mid-Michigan facilities.

"We hear similar concerns," McKellar said. "They're trying to make do with the best that they can."

In a statement, Glenn Oswald with the Regency offered condolences to the families who have lost loved ones. He said, per the CDC's guidelines and now in line with the Governor's emergency order, they have created an isolated COVID-19 unit. There, the plan to "treat a limited amount of existing and/or admitted positive COVID-19 patients."

Oswald added they are also screening staff before and after each shift, encouraging them to stay home if they're sick.

"These facilities, by and large, know what to do... And, they're doing the best they can with sometimes limitations in equipment, sometimes limitations with staffing," McKellar commented.

He added that he knows this is a scary time not only for residents of long-term care facilities, but their families too.

He believes the Governor's latest emergency order is a strong turning point. He said it's giving him some comfort positive changes are in the works.

"Because they treat vulnerable residents in very close quarters, it's, it's a difficult environment in which to control infectious outbreaks," McKellar said. "They also have a struggle to maintain supplies of personal protective equipment for their staff."

Regarding that shortage of PPE equipment, McKellar said the facilities have used multiple resources to get the masks, gloves and gowns.

"I think they're doing the best they can," he said. "There is CDC guidance about, under these outbreak conditions, how to stretch the use of PPE. So, I know that they're following those guidelines."

He added that the Governor's latest order now requires each facility to report every day the number of PPE they have in a state database system. McKellar said that will allow them to monitor who is in dire need of help.

Plus, the facilities have to report the number of cases daily to the local health departments.

McKellar confirmed there is at least one positive case of COVID-19 at each of the 15 facilities in Genesee County, which he said is the same situation across the state.

"I think that's finally elevated, obviously to the level of the Governor; and, she's issued this most recent order," McKellar commented. "I think it's a good move and I applaud the order."

The order also calls for each facility to create an isolated COVID-19 unit where positive residents will be treated, an effort to protect the rest of the population.

And, he said, it requires the employees treating them have PPE.

"You know, we talk with them by phone, we check in, really on a weekly basis. If, if we were to become aware of a facility that seemed really to be struggling, we could make a referral to LARA," McKellar explained.

LARA is the Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Agency. McKellar said the state agency is in charge of enforcing the order.

His department or any concerned citizen can report issues to them, by sending an email to lara-covid-19-questions@michigan.gov.