One report shows a death, another doesn't
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Virus
The COVID-19-related death of a resident at Hart Care Center has been reported by the Department of Community Health, but the state Department of Public Health, which monitors and reports on overall numbers of cases, hospitalizations and deaths from the virus still lists Hart County with zero.
The most recent report on long-term care facilities from the DCH lists a one death and 22 positive COVID-19 cases among the facility’s 92 residents as well as 12 positive cases among employees there.
The DPH, however, which tracks overall cumulative numbers for each county across the state, does not list a death attributed to a Hart County resident.
Hart County administrator and EMS director, Terrell Partain, said he is working to find out why there is a difference in the reports and if Hart County has actually experienced its first death due to the disease.
There was also another death in Hart County late last week of someone who was COVID-19 positive, but Partain said efforts are underway to determine if that death was caused by complications with the disease or something else.
Partain has expressed some frustration and uncertainty about the reporting by state agencies. He said he is focusing more on the number of active cases and has told EMTs and paramedics to operate as if everyone they encounter may have the virus out of an abundance of caution. Partain said there are currently 36 active cases in Hart County as of Monday morning.
The most recent DPH report as of Monday morning showed there have been 200 total positive tests for COVID-19 in Hart County since the state began tracking the numbers in March. There have been 27 hospitalizations, the report shows.
Statewide, according to the DPH, there have been 167,953 cases since reporting began, 3,498 deaths, 17,091 hospitalizations and 3,168 admissions into intensive care units due to the virus.