More Deaths from Gallatin Rehab COVID-19 Outbreak

Sumner County Commission Chair Scott Langford took to Facebook to continue to criticize the leadership at Gallatin Rehab and Healing and the Tennessee Department of Health during the COVID-19 outbreak that left over 100 people infected. Here's his post:

Last week, Mayor Paige Brown, Mayor Anthony Holt, Chris Taylor, me, and the health community of Sumner County stood opposed to reopening the Gallatin Rehab Center that we evacuated 11 days ago.

The corporation that owns the center and the TN Department of Health overrode us and sent patients back three days after closure. There was zero transparency about cleaning, zero transparency about whether patients who were positive for COVID were being transported back, and zero transparency about quarantining staff members exposed to the virus. ZERO!

Now, patients are dying. Our first responders are exposed repeatedly as they move patients back and forth. More employees and residents are exposed to COVID in the center.

It is beyond appalling that this is allowed to go on.
These deaths are not a statistic. They are grandparents, parents, and friends.

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Gallatin Nursing Home Reopens Over Objections

A Gallatin nursing home where over 100 cases of COVID-19 were found is reopening over objections from local leaders, according to a NewsChannel5 report:

Just days after that disturbing video of elderly patients being moved out of the nursing home in Gallatin because of a Coronavirus outbreak, there are plans to reopen the facility.

In fact, it could be back in business by Thursday despite objections from Sumner County officials who call the idea "irresponsible."

They said it's too soon and they have no confidence in the facility right now or the Tennessee State Health Department. And they believe the state's plan to reopen the nursing home now will only put more lives in danger. So they called NewsChannel 5 Investigates to express their concerns and sound the alarm.

"I tell you this, I would not want one of my loved ones to be in that facility right now," Sumner County Mayor Anthony Holt said.

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Sumner County vs. TN Department of Health

While Sumner County leads Tennessee in number of deaths from COVID-19, the Tennessee Department of Health has said it will allow Gallatin Rehab and Healing to reopen tomorrow -- 4 patients from that facility have now died from the virus and over 100 patients and staffers were infected.

County Commission Chair Scott Langford has joined other Sumner County leaders in condemning the decision. Here's his statement:

As Chairman of the Sumner County Commission, I want to join our County Mayor, Mayor of Gallatin, EMA Director, EMS Chief, and Budget Chairman to condemn the TN Department of Health’s plan to allow Gallatin Rehab and Healing to reopen tomorrow. Over 100 people infected and 4 deaths. There is no reason to allow this facility to reopen. It poses a substantial risk to public health. There is zero commitment from the State Health Department to test the facility.

We call upon the TN Health Department to keep this facility closed.

For more on news impacting Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews