(CNN) Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said negligence at the Atria Willow Wood assisted living facility in Broward County that led to several residents being diagnosed with coronavirus "could be" criminal.

At least three coronavirus deaths and seven other cases in residents have been identified at Atria Willow Wood, a statement from the facility said Sunday. Test results were still pending for five other residents as of Sunday night, according to the statement.

Governor DeSantis said during a press conference last week that the facility did not screen staff, cooks and construction workers prior to letting them enter, exposing hundreds of residents to the deadly virus.​​

"It ... clearly fell below the standard of care and whether it went into criminal ... I think that that's a possibility," DeSantis said during a press conference Monday when asked by reporters about the issue. "That was clearly non-compliant, negligent and it did cost those residents their lives."

DeSantis said that a Department of Health investigation revealed that the incidents were "avoidable," and added that some people at the facility were "coughing up a storm" or going into work "visibly ill."

Read More