Whitefish care center sees four additional COVID deaths

Four additional individuals associated with Whitefish Care and Rehabilitation Center have died from COVID-19-related complications, according to a press release sent Friday morning from the Flathead City-County Health Department.

As of Friday, the facility has had 10 total COVID-19-related fatalities and as a whole, Flathead County has seen 13 deaths.

According to the press release, the facility is still facing a major outbreak, with more than 75% of residents having tested positive for COVID-19 since August.

The fatality rate for this specific COVID-19 outbreak is 19% for the time period of Aug. 9 through Sept. 10. This means 19% of positive COVID-19 residents in this facility have died from COVID-19 since Aug 9.

“We extend our condolences to all the families and friends affected by these deaths,” Interim Health Officer Tamalee St. James Robinson said in a prepared statement.

Whitefish Care and Rehab announced the facility’s outbreak in late August. The first four deaths at the facility were announced shortly after on Aug. 29 and at that point, 27 residents had tested positive for the virus.

In a press release announcing the first deaths, Reid Crickmore, executive director of Whitefish Care and Rehab, said “the two headwinds we continue to face are asymptomatic positive people and the timeliness of lab results, sometimes taking four to seven days to get results.”

For up-to-date information on local cases, go to the Flathead City-County Health Department’s website at https://flatheadhealth.org/

Reporter Kianna Gardner can be reached at 758-4407 or kgardner@dailyinterlake.com