Fort Lauderdale Assisted Living Facility Working With Health Dept., CDC After Coronavirus Death
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - A Fort Lauderdale assisted living facility is working with the state's health department and the Centers for Disease Control after one of its residents, 77-year-old Richard Curren, died from the coronavirus and several others are at the hospital being tested for COVID-19.
It has been confirmed by a trusted source, that since Friday, three patients died at the Atria Willow Wood. Curren tested positive for the Coronavirus, the second patient has tested negative, and the result of the third patient is still pending.
On Wednesday afternoon, Governor Ron DeSantis said two other men who died tested negative
for the coronavirus.
On another note, 8 Fort Lauderdale firefighter-paramedics are in quarantine who may have been
exposed to the virus responding to calls throughout the city.
"The health and well-being of Atria residents and employees is our first priority. On March 16, we received news of a confirmed case of COVID-19 at Atria Willow Wood. This resident had been in the hospital since March 6. Sadly, the resident has since passed away said Mike Gentry, Senior Vice President of Care, in a statement.
Gentry said representatives from the Department of Health visited the facilities on Tuesday to "review the control measures we have in place and confirmed that we are taking the appropriate steps."
Curren, who lived with his wife at the Atria Willow Wood Assisted Living Facility in Fort Lauderdale, had diabetes and COPD and suffered a heart attack several years ago, according to family members.
Curren's wife, Sheila, said his death was unexpected.
"I'm still in shock," she said. "He had a respiratory thing and it landed him in the hospital and I didn't think it was gonna turn into anything that they couldn't treat."
His daughter, Tracy Wieder, said Curren was the primary caregiver for Sheila, who is wheelchair-bound, lifting her out of the chair multiple times a day and bathing her and dressing her.
"I feel the state is trying to paint the picture of a sickly old man who coronavirus struck him and killed him and somehow the rest of are safe because we're not sickly and old, which is completely false," she said.
His son, Erik, is devastated.
"We're very shocked," Erik Curren said. "This is terrible. We thought he'd be around for a while. The hardest part is not being able to say goodbye and that's something I'll always regret."
Watch the Broward EOC press conference in its entirety
Curren's wife and daughter are quarantined but say they feel fine.
"I have no symptoms," Sheila said."I don't even have a runny nose."
The Curren family said the Broward Health Department called them and said they want Sheila tested. However, she now lives in Miami with her daughter. Tracy said they've unable to reach health officials in Miami. They want to know if Sheila is ill or if she's clear.
The family of Richard Curren is grieving their sudden loss and they hope everyone listening heeds their warning.
"We want everyone to take it seriously," Wieder said. "Don't overreact but you need to stop gathering. You need to stop gathering. We have to stop the community spread."
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