Raynham town and health officials announced Monday that 13 residents of the Life Care Center of Raynham, along with five staff members, have tested positive for the coronavirus. Officials have requested assistance from the ongoing state effort to provide testing for long-term care facility residents by the Massachusetts National Guard, which is expected to be fulfilled within the next week.

RAYNHAM — Town health officials announced Monday that 13 residents of a Raynham nursing home and five staff members have tested positive for the coronavirus.

According to a press release issued Monday afternoon, Life Care Center of Raynham discovered its first case on Tuesday, March 31. Since then, patients have been transported via ambulance to area hospitals and certain units have been quarantined, according to the press release. In addition to the quarantine, the facility has taken additional precautions to limit exposure and reduce the spread of the virus.

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The South Street East facility is currently closed to the admission of new patients, as well as visitors with the exception of end-of-life circumstances, according to town officials. Residents’ families and loved ones are encouraged to make contact by telephone and not attempt to visit the facility.

On Friday, Heath Department officials and Life Care Center of Raynham management held a conference call to go over the status of the facility as well as planning for operations moving forward.

“What’s happening at Life Care of Raynham is unfortunately happening in towns throughout the world right now,” said Joseph Pacheco, chairman of the Raynham boards of selectmen and health. “I’m appreciative of the collaboration between Life Care and town officials and optimistic that through the proactive measures in place, we can begin to contain and stabilize the situation.”

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Raynham Health Agent Matt Tanis said Life Care Center has been “very open” and in “constant communication” with him about patient and staff illnesses, transports and measures they’ve been taking to control the spread of the virus.

“COVID-19 is highly contagious, especially in contained environments such as close living quarters, however Life Care of Raynham has been actively following all recommendations and guidance I have given to them as well as what was set in place by Massachusetts (Department of Public Health) and the (Centers for Disease Control),” he said. “Despite the current levels of confirmed cases I am confident that the measures taken thus far are making an impact to minimize further spread throughout the facility.”

Town officials also noted that they have been communicating with the state Department of Public Health and that a request has been made for support from the Massachusetts National Guard to conduct on-site testing, as part of a program launched last week by the state to mobilize the Massachusetts National Guard at long-term care facilities throughout the state to test residents for COVID-19. The program is being operated in conjunction with the State Public Health Laboratory and the Broad Institute of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard.

Raynham's request is expected to be fulfilled within the next week, town officials said.

Starting Friday, the Massachusetts National Guard responded to one such long-term care facility in Easton, Southeast Rehabilitation and Skilled Care Center, where town officials say “numerous” residents have tested positive for the coronavirus. The facility confirmed Monday that one resident died Sunday after contracting COVID-19.

Staff writer Corlyn Voorhees can be reached at cvoorhees@enterprisenews.com. You can follow her on Twitter at @corlyn_ENT.