Multiple residents at Greenport retirement community test positive for coronavirus—family members angered by lack of information

An unknown number of Peconic Landing residents have tested positive for coronavirus, and family members are angered by what they say is the life care community’s lack of transparency about how far the infection has spread — including how many people have contracted the virus and the severity of those cases.

The 144-acre facility, home to more than 400 seniors, was the site of the second reported case in Suffolk County on March 10, when a per diem employee connected to Suffolk’s first case tested positive for the virus.

The facility on March 12 reported two more staff members tested positive for COVID-19.

Peconic Landing did not acknowledge any infections among residents until Tuesday and it did not give a total number of residents infected. Yesterday, a Peconic Landing spokesperson declined to provide information beyond a statement posted on the organization’s website Tuesday.

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Today, Peconic Landing said an unspecified number of additional residents have also been confirmed as infected with the virus.

In a statement emailed to members of the media this afternoon, Peconic Landing said it had directly called families of residents who have tested positive to inform them of the test results.

“We have had more positive tests with our members here at Peconic Landing and have them isolated in the health center, as this is where our only confirmed cases have occurred,” the facility said in a statement. “We have our health center closed to all non-medical personnel following the governor’s and CMS directive.”

Yesterday, a Peconic Landing spokesperson declined to answer questions from RiverheadLOCAL about how many residents have been confirmed with or suspected of infection with COVID-19, or how many had been transported to a hospital for treatment. She also declined to say whether any additional staff members had been infected — or how many residents and staff members had been tested.

As of this afternoon, there were 45 confirmed cases in the Town of Southold, according to Suffolk County Health Commissioner Dr. Gregson Pigott. He did not specify the number of confirmed cases in the hamlet of Greenport, but sources with knowledge of the data provided to the town by the county said that as of this morning, there were 17 confirmed cases in the hamlet of Greenport.

The county does not provide location-specific information to the town, citing privacy laws, the sources said.

Peconic Landing said in a statement today it is communicating first with its residents, second to their families, then the organization’s team members and then to the greater community.

“We know people are concerned, as are we, specifically because of the population we serve and are trying to protect,” the statement said. “We are updating our website when we receive new information.”

But some family members say they are extremely dissatisfied with the communication they’ve had from the facility.

On the afternoon of March 14, Peconic Landing sent an email to family members of residents saying that a “member” —a resident of the community — had tested positive got COVID-19, but that the resident had not been on campus for more than a week, Peconic Landing said in an email obtained by RiverheadLOCAL. At that point, the facility had already reported three staff members tested positive.

On the afternoon of March 17, Peconic Landing sent an email reporting that “several more members have tested positive for the coronavirus.” Peconic Landing said in the email it was “quarantining those members in place.”

The facility, as of March 17, was not aware of any confirmed cases among its independent living residents, it said in the email.

“Why won’t they say how many people have been affected,” asked a family member whose parents are residents of Peconic Landing, who spoke to RiverheadLOCAL on the condition of anonymity.

“They’re not informing us of anything that’s going on there,” the family member said, complaining of being “cut off from” their parents.

In an emailed statement this afternoon, Peconic Landing said it has been “emailing and calling families regularly with updates.”

There are “multiple, multiple people infected there,” the family member told RiverheadLOCAL. At least two of them are in hospice care, the family member said.

Coronavirus is particularly dangerous to vulnerable populations, including people over the age of 60 and those with underlying health conditions. In a facility like Peconic Landing, which provides independent assisted living and end-of-life care to seniors, an outbreak of coronavirus can be especially worrying.

As of March 16, 80% of deaths in the United States attributed to coronavirus have occurred in people over the age of 60, according to data released yesterday by the CDC.

A majority of the country’s first coronavirus deaths occurred in an outbreak at a life center in Kirkland, Washington. At least 29 deaths in Washington State were linked to that facility.