FRANKLIN — Seven people who tested positive for COVID-19 at a senior living facility in Franklin were transported to hospitals late Wednesday night.
Crews from the several fire departments and Otterbein Senior Life Campus facility transported the patients, with no to mild symptoms, to hospitals, said Mike Pruitt, public information officer for the Johnson County Joint Incident Management Team., in an email.
The patients were taken to Johnson Memorial Hospital, Community South Hospital, and Franciscan St. Francis Health, Pruitt said.
"It was something we had been planning for and our plan worked," Pruitt said.
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At this time, there have been no additional confirmed cases for the virus at the facility, Pruitt said.
Johnson County Health Department director Elizabeth Swearingen says this is a another reminder everyone needs to do what we can to protect those most at risk.
"I hope that everybody takes it seriously and they do what they can do and if each and every person does that, we can shut this down," Swearingen said.
As of 11 a.m. Wednesday, there were 40 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Johnson County, Pruitt said. Three people have died from the virus in the county.
During a press conference Wednesday, State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box said she wants long-term care facilities to have a plan for treating patients with positive cases of COVID-19.
"This taxes our healthcare system and exposes healthcare workers and others to this virus," Box said. "We need every facility to have a firm plan in place about how they handle COVID-19 cases so that we can reduce the spread of infections and preserve our hospital beds and healthcare resources for those who need them the most."
