The Tippecanoe County Health Department announced Wednesday 17 novel coronavirus cases have been confirmed at the Rosewalk Village nursing home in Lafayette.
Tippecanoe County Health Officer Dr. Jeremy Adler says after a Rosewalk employee tested positive for COVID-19 last week, a strike team was called in and confirmed 16 resident cases.
“Of the residents, 14 of them are in isolation and being treated at Rosewalk Village,” Adler said. “Two of them are hospitalized. All residents of that facility have been tested, and 20 employees have been tested.”
Rosewalk Village is part of American Senior Communities, which also runs Ben Hur Health and Rehabilitation in Crawfordsville; the Montgomery County Health Department reported 59 COVID-19 cases and 16 deaths at that facility as of May 27.
The health department also advised people who attended protests in Greater Lafayette this week to monitor themselves for COVID-19 symptoms and contact their health care provider if necessary, given the size of the gatherings and the difficulty of social distancing.
“Also, in a protest situation, where people may be chanting or yelling, there’s also a higher chance of those individuals expelling respiratory droplets that carry COVID-19,” Adler said. “So there certainly are concerns with the local protests, just as there are concerns with protests in other parts of the country.”
The Indiana State Department of Health reported Tippecanoe County’s fourth death from COVID-19 Tuesday; Adler said the person was over age 65, had underlying medical conditions, and died at home.