69 people contracted coronavirus at a long-term care facility in Manatee County. 2 of them died

MANATEE COUNTY, Fla — Manatee Springs Nursing and Rehab Center is the latest Tampa Bay area long-term care facility reporting large amounts of coronavirus cases.

10Investigates confirmed 69 cases of COVID-19 at the facility. Thirty-six of them are residents.

Two of them died, according to the Florida Department of Health.

As of Thursday, 45 news coronavirus-related deaths were announced in facilities across the state, bringing the total to 622 residents and staff members. 

Long-term care facilities across the U.S. have been hit hard by the pandemic, and Florida is no exception.

Since Gov. Ron DeSantis directed Florida Surgeon General Scott Rivkees on April 18 to begin releasing the names of facilities with confirmed COVID-19 cases, 10Investigates has been keeping a close eye on the numbers.

But, 10Investigates uncovered that the state has been releasing that information quietly. It includes the number of cases and deaths reported at each facility.

Four of the 5 facilities with the highest numbers of deaths are in the Tampa Bay area. Seminole Pavilion Rehabilitation & Nursing Services and Braden River Rehabilitation Center LLC are among them with 14 reported deaths each. Riviera Palms Rehabilitation Center has had 9 deaths.

Here is Tampa Bay's county-by-county breakdown:

Manatee: 41
Pinellas: 39
Sarasota: 27
Polk: 19
Hillsborough: 11
Pasco: 5 

10Investigates also looked through inspection reports for Manatee County area facilities and found Manatee Springs Rehabilitation and Nursing Center was cited for infection control every year from 2016 to 2019.

RELATED: Florida Health quietly releases more specific data on nursing home deaths

RELATED: 81 percent of Manatee Co. COVID-19 cases in long-term care facilities traced to one company

RELATED: Hard-hit Tampa Bay senior care facility reports 23 coronavirus-related deaths

RELATED: 10 more people at a Tampa Bay nursing home test positive for COVID-19

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