MISSOURI CITY, Texas - Nineteen people at a Texas nursing home have died due to the coronavirus and 24 employees have been infected, officials said.
Missouri City said it received notification Wednesday about the deaths and infections at Paradigm at First Colony Nursing Home after Yolanda Ford, the city's mayor, sent a letter to the state's health department requesting notice about cases in the Houston-area city.
"The city is concerned about the individuals and families who are affected by the Paradigm cases," Ford said.
There was no answer early Thursday at a telephone listing for the facility.
Nursing homes have been hit hard by the pandemic. Residents and staff represent a tiny share of the U.S. population but account for as many as 4 in 10 coronavirus deaths, according to some estimates.
Texas on Wednesday reported 236 new coronavirus deaths, pushing the total death toll to nearly 7,500. But hospitalizations in Texas dropped to 8,455, the lowest mark in a month.