Louisiana veterans home reports 43 deaths in 30 days

RESERVE, La. (WAFB) - One month ago today (April 23), 144 veterans lived at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans home in Reserve, Louisiana. Since then, 43 residents of that home have died. However, the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs said Thursday, April 23 only 24 of those deaths are classified as being related to COVID-19.

The other 19 were “non-COVID related deaths,” a spokesperson for that agency said Thursday.

By comparison, administrators say there were 7 non-COVID deaths at the home in February 2020, prior to the coronavirus outbreak.

The first positive case of COVID-19 was reported at the home March 23.

Since that time, a total of 68 residents have tested positive for COVID-19, the agency says. Of the 68 patients who have tested positive, facility administrators reported the following:

24 have died

6 remain hospitalized (including one who has recovered from COVID)

34 are being treated at the veterans home

4 have recovered

The agency reports that 47 other residents of the home, located in St. John the Baptist Parish, have tested negative and the results on six others were inconclusive.

“At the recommendation of our facility’s medical director, we are currently retesting all of our residents who received negative or inconclusive test results,” facility administrators said Thursday. “We hope to receive those test results within the next two or three days.”

Three residents from the home have been discharged from the facility in the past 30 days and are now living elsewhere.

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