Maryland Nursing Home Faces $70K Fine Over Coronavirus Measures

MOUNT AIRY, Md. (AP) - A nursing home in Maryland is facing a $70,000 fine for not properly isolating newly admitted residents during two weeks in May to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. State health regulators fined Pleasant View Nursing Home in Mount Airy, where the virus infected 126 residents and staff members and caused 29 deaths, the Baltimore Sun reported Friday. The nursing home in Carroll County in April was the site of the state's first major outbreak at nursing homes. State inspectors found that newly admitted residents between May 7 and May 20 created an “immediate jeopardy” to the facility's population because they were not properly isolated. This failure led to a $5,000-per-day fine. Pleasant View’s administrator Rebecca Travels hung up on a newspaper reporter who sought comment from the facility on the inspectors' findings.  Inspectors also found that one resident known to behave aggressively and experience hallucinations was placed in an area intended for people who were not infected with COVID-19. At that time, the test for that resident was pending and the person walked around the halls. The test eventually came back positive.  The report on the nursing home also states the facility did not have adequate staffing levels and failed to notify state health officials of the departure of its director of nursing, which is required by regulations. Maryland has recorded 66,115 coronavirus cases, of which 1,104 were tallied in Carroll County.