Hide Transcript Show Transcript

>> THE STELLA MARIS NURSING HOME IN BALTIMORE COUNTY CONFIRMS TONIGHT IT HAS ITS FIRST CASE,OF DEATH CASE OF CORONAVIRUS AT THE FACILITY. >> REPORTER LOWELL MELSER HAS THE DETAILS FROM TIMONIUM. REPRESENTATIVES TELL ME THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FOUR RECENT PATIENTS THAT WERE BROUGHT IN, PRIESTS FROM PHILADELPHIA THAT ENDED UP TESTING POSITIVE, THEY WERE ALSO PLACED IN A NICE UNIT WHERE THEY WERE AWAY FROM OTHER BUILDING. THE REPRESENTATIVE BELIEVE THE TWO CASES ARE NOT RELATED AT THIS POINT. THIS COMES ON THE HEELS THAT THE STATE IS CLAIMING IT HAD NO ROLL IN BRINGING THESE PRIESTS TO THE FACILITY. >> OFFICIALS TELLING US THAT THE STATE HAD NO PART IN MOVING THE PRIESTS FROM PHILADELPHIA TO STELLA MARIST. WE WERE TOLD THE STATE HAD NO ROLL IN THE FOR OF NATIONS AND THEY WERE NOT NOTIFIED THAT THEY HAVE TESTS PENDING FOR COVID-19. THE DEPARTMENT LEARNED IN THE TEST RESULTS WERE REPORTED TO THE STATE BY THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND AT THAT TIME, THE DEPARTMENT CALLED AND NOTIFIED THEM OF THE POSITIVE TEST RESULTS OF WHAT THE -- OF WHICH THE FACILITY IS NOT AWARE. DR. FEDERER SAYS WE DID NOT OPPOSE THIS DECISION AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS STELLA MARIST ON ALL BE RECOMMENDATIONS. THEY CLAIMED IT EMAIL REFERRED TO A PREVIOUS SITUATION INVOLVING A POSSIBLE POSITIVE CASE IN THE FACILITY AND HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PRIESTS. ALSO, THE COUNTY DID NOT FIND OUT ABOUT THE PRIESTS UNTIL THEY WERE ALREADY AT STELL MARIST. >> THE SITUATION IS CERTAINLY CONCERNING. >> WE REACHED OUT TO REPRESENTATIVES BEFORE THE NEWS CAME OUT ABOUT THE NEW CASE OF CORONAVIRUS TO SEE IF THEY HAD ANY COMMENT ABOUT WHAT THE STATE AND COUNTY WERE SAYING. SO FAR, WE HAVE NOT HEARD A COMMENT. >> IN THE INTEREST OF TRANSPARENCY, OUR GENERAL MANAGER SAID ON THE ADVISOR

Advertisement State responds to decision to allow sick priests to be moved to Stella Maris Share Shares Copy Link Copy

State officials are responding to the decision of Stella Maris moving four sick priests to the long-term care facility. The priests ended up testing positive for the coronavirus.|| Coronavirus updates | Maryland's latest numbers | Rumor Control ||Family members of patients at Stella Maris contacted 11 News after learning four Jesuit priests from Philadelphia were brought into the facility's coronavirus unit described as "persons under investigation," then "confirmed as COVID-19 positive."Responding Thursday morning, the governor's office told 11 News: "The state, at no time, backed or blessed the decision to allow the patients to be moved. The state had no role in the transfer of the patients.""The Maryland Department of Health was not notified in advance that Stella Maris would be accepting patients who had tests pending for COVID-19. The department learned of this when the residents' positive test results were reported to the state by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. At that time, the department called Stella Maris and notified them of the positive test results, of which the facility was not yet aware. At that point, we consulted with the facility on the protocols they were following."The statement contradicts information from an email 11 News obtained that was between a Health Department employee and Dr. Kenneth Feder, an epidemic intelligence service officer with the state. Feder wrote in the email: "We did not oppose this decision, and my understanding is that Stella Maris took all of the precautions recommended when accepting these residents."But state officials claim Thursday the email was referring to a previous situation involving a possible positive case at the facility and had nothing to do with the priests.WBAL-TV 11 News discovered through an Emergency Certificate of Need signed by the Maryland Health Care Commission, the facility was to create, and did create, an 18-bed coronavirus unit on a separate floor of the facility.However, according to the certificate, it's for residents who become sick or patients who are released from hospitals that had coronavirus and need extra care. The certificate said nothing about bringing in sick people from other states.Officials with Stella Maris told 11 News in an email that they worked with both the Maryland Department of Health and Baltimore County Health Department throughout the entire process.Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski told reporters Thursday morning that the county didn't find out about the priests until they were already at Stella Maris."That was a state Health Department call in partnership with the state. They made those decisions. The situation is certainly concerning especially to learn after the fact," Olszewski said.Once again, 11 News contacted representatives from Stella Maris, given the claims by the state and county, and they said they would not comment further for this story.The Maryland Department of Health sent 11 News a statement at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, saying: "MDH works with all facilities to ensure the implementation of appropriate COVID-19 prevention and containment measures, consistent with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services."Maryland does not prohibit providing care to anyone in any facility -- including in nursing homes and hospitals -- as long as the facility demonstrates that it is appropriately handling its COVID-19 response while providing quality care for all patients, regardless of their COVID-19 status."In the interest of complete transparency, WBAL-TV 11 President and General Manager Dan Joerres sits on the advisory board for Stella Maris. He had no direct involvement in the reporting of this story.