The number of cases of COVID-19 detected in Alabama nursing homes jumped from zero just two weeks ago, to two a week ago, to 8 confirmed cases now spread across six different centers.

Two Alabama facilities reported multiple cases: South Haven Health and Rehab in Hoover, where two employees tested positive, and Arbor Springs Health and Rehab in Opelika, where one employee and one resident became infected.

According to a statement, the two nurses who tested positive at South Haven Health and Rehab worked on different floors.

“The group of residents whom these nursing assistants cared for are all being tested,” according to a statement from NHS Management, the Tuscaloosa company that runs the nursing home. “We do not have any residents at South Haven infected with the virus at this time.”

A resident in another NHS Management-operated facility, Aspire West Alabama in Northport, came down with flu-like symptoms last week, tested positive for COVID-19 and is currently under the care of doctors at DCH Regional Medical Center. Other cases have been detected at Extendicare Health and Rehabilitation in Dothan, Plantation Manor in McCalla and Aspire Cahaba River in Vestavia. Two Alabama nursing homes that reported COVID-19 cases late last week still haven’t released the results of follow-up testing from March 19.

Dr. Tom Frieden, former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, called nursing homes “ground zero” of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Their residents, older people and those with underlying health conditions, have the highest mortality rates and the close quarters provide ideal conditions for viral outbreaks.

On March 13, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which regulates nursing homes, issued guidelines prohibiting almost all visitors, except for end-of-life situations. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announced an order making that official statewide six days later. Despite the measures, the number of cases has steadily ticked up.

A resident of Arbor Springs Health and Rehab in Opelika was admitted to East Alabama Medical Center last weekend and received positive results Monday for COVID-19. An employee from the same nursing home tested positive the next day.

“We will be testing all employees and residents,” according to a statement from Arbor Springs. “Protective protocols remain in place, and access to our facility is restricted in accordance with federal health care guidelines. Only visits that are medically necessary or related to hospice will be allowed, and then, only under restricted conditions.

A single nursing home was at the center of an early, deadly outbreak in Washington state.

A report released last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 129 COVID-19 cases associated with Life Care Center in Kirkland, Washington, including 81 residents and 34 staff members. As of last week, 35 people associated with the facility had died from the virus. The CDC investigation found that employees who worked while sick spread COVID-19 to residents of Life Care and other facilities where they also worked.

“The findings in this report suggest that once COVID-19 has been introduced into a long-term care facility, it has the potential to result in high attack rates among residents, staff members, and visitors,” according to the CDC report.

Read more about the outbreak at Life Care Center in Kirkland, Washington.

At the retirement home Lambeth House in New Orleans, about 40 people have been infected and 11 have died, according to news reports. In Illinois, the Chateau Nursing and Rehabilitation Center reported 46 cases.

Public health officials identify clusters of cases where two or more can be linked. So far, no clusters have been announced by the Alabama Department of Public Health.

Brandon Farmer, president and CEO of the Alabama Nursing Home Association, requested Friday priority for nursing homes from federal grants. Facilities in other states have struggled to maintain staff and services as the virus spreads.

In Spain, some nursing home residents were found abandoned, as staff was overwhelmed by the deadly illness.

“In our lifetime, there has never been a greater threat to our most vulnerable citizens than the threat posed by COVID-19 to the residents of our nursing homes,” Farmer said. “Congress on March 18 approved federal assistance funding to help provide for our nursing home residents. Other federal assistance for long-term care may be forthcoming. The history of this virus proves that nursing homes must be a central focus for prevention and containment of this disease.”

Here is the full list of nursing home cases in Alabama:

Plantation Manor – 1 resident

Extendicare Health and Rehabilitation - 1 resident

Aspire Cahaba River – 1 employee

South Haven Health and Rehab – 2 employees

Aspire West Alabama – 1 resident

Arbor Springs Health and Rehab – 1 resident and 1 employee

Updated at 4:06 p.m. with additional information about nursing home cases. Capitol Hill Healthcare in Montgomery was initially included, but the case there is under investigation and has not been confirmed.