Update: 24 patients taken to hospital after coronavirus outbreak at Gallatin nursing home

The Sumner Regional Medical Center reported 24 patients from a Gallatin nursing home facility were accepted after reports that many had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. 

One person has died and 23 patients from the Gallatin Center for Rehabilitation and Healing were admitted to the hospital according a Sumner Regional Medical Center Facebook post. A cause of death for the person who died was not immediately confirmed.

The patients hospitalized were being isolated.

Tennessee Department of Health and Sumner County Health Department personnel are are testing all patients on the premises for COVID-19, according to a news release by Gallatin Mayor Paige Brown. All staff will be tested as well and a company is being brought in to thoroughly clean the building.

Brown confirmed a coordinated response from several agencies in Sumner and surrounding counties to arrange the transport of the patients at Gallatin Center for Rehabilitation and Healing. 

Around 6 p.m. Friday, Sumner County Emergency Medical Services were alerted that there was a large number of patients at the Gallatin Center for Rehabilitation that needed transportation to the hospital, EMS director Greg Miller said at a news conference Friday night. 

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"We're seeing how this virus can invade a community, especially a close one like a nursing home," Brown said when reached by phone Friday. "It's been communicated to us that they had taken all recommended precautions and it still infiltrated in some way."

Sumner Regional CEO Susan Peach indicated the facility was prepared to accept the new patients and had implemented new procedures to create specialized isolation rooms for them and others who may need treatment. 

The facility has approximately 330 beds at full capacity, including more than 100 in the specialized isolation units, she said. 

She also indicated medical facilities in neighboring counties were prepared to assist in a transition of care as the needs of the patients change.

"In times like this, we act as one team, wholly commuted to the health and safety of our community," Peach said at a news conference. "Our team is prepared."

Peach confirmed a number of staff members at the facility had tested positive, but could not say how many on Friday. No staff members were included in the transport on Friday.

The patients were still being assessed as of 11 p.m. Friday. 

"The evolution of this disease takes days, and it affects every person differently. We are responding as we were called that there was a need to accept patients out of an abundance of caution to make sure that they were in a place where they could be very carefully watched," Peach said. 

Usually, the facility houses approximately 170 residents, Brown said. 

Concerns about the patients at the facility were communicated to Brown on Wednesday, and coordinated responses from local and state agencies worked from that time to organize the transports.

Brown will continue to communicate with Sumner Regional Medical Center, Gallatin Center for Rehabilitation and Healing, the Sumner County Health Department and other agencies.

Reach reporter Mariah Timms at mtimms@tennessean.com or 615-259-8344 and on Twitter @MariahTimms.