FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - An elderly man who lived at a senior living facility in Fort Lauderdale became South Florida’s first death due to COVID-19, as the death toll in the state climbed to six and positive cases of coronavirus now stand at 216, health officials said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis confirmed that Broward County patient’s death at a news conference, Tuesday morning.
“This is a 77-year-old male who had significant underlying medical problems,” he said.
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue crews responded to the Atria Willow Wood Senior Living and Memory Care facility, located at 2855 W Commercial Blvd., overnight Tuesday.
The elderly patient, whose family identified as Richard Curren, tested positive for COVID-19.
Tracy Wieder, Curren’s daughter, said she learned of her father’s death early Tuesday morning.
“That illness, he did not bring it into the facility. It was brought in by somebody else,” she said.
7SkyForce HD hovered above the facility where rescue crew members could still be seen making their way in and out of the building, hours later.
Fort Lauderdale Police officers also responded to the facility.
Health officials said 55 others in Broward County have the virus, and another 43 have it in Miami-Dade.
As of Tuesday night, there are more than 6,300 cases of COVID-19 in all 50 states, and the national death toll topped 100 for the first time.
Curren was the facility’s third death since Friday.
He leaves behind Sheila, his wife of 57 years.
Wieder and Sheila are currently quarantined in Miami-Dade County. They are grieving together but kept away from everyone else.
“At the very time in your life when you want your friends and family around you, we were in isolation,” said Wieder.
Curren’s family said he and Sheila lived at an apartment at Atria Willow Wood.
“It was always their dream to live in South Florida,” said Curren’s son Erik. “They used to take us there as kids who grew up in Chicago.”
Loved ones said he started feeling ill last week and immediately called 911.
“I really had no reason to imagine that he would be positive,” said Wieder.
Especially after, Wieder and her mother said, they were initially told he had bacterial pneumonia, so they had no doubt he would recover from it.
“So many of us are just in shock because he has this way of always bouncing back, always recovering from whatever it was,” said Wieder.
Family members said Curren took care of his wife. The couple married when they were 19 years old.
“People loved him,” said Sheila.
Just very charismatic, very likable, very charismatic,” said Wieder, “and he loved, loved, loved animals.”
Of the three people that have died at the assisted living facility, only one of them is linked to the coronavirus. The test results for the other two are still pending.
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis said the city will help Atria Willow Wood Senior Living and other facilities like it.
“The city is working closely with state and federal agencies to bring the necessary resources to provide all the healthcare assistance possible,” he said.
While Broward health officials contacted them wanting to get Sheila tested, the family said they’re having trouble reaching Miami-Dade health officials.
“They just never picked up,” said Wieder, “and I know people say, ‘Well, they’re overwhelmed,’ but Broward County has far more cases, and they were completely responsive.”
Atria Willow Wood Assisted Living Center houses 220 residents, with as many as seven being tested for COVID-19. The residents who have been tested have also been removed from the facility.
“There is an investigation underway,” said DeSantis. “The Department of Health sent a strike team last evening upon becoming aware of the individual’s positive test result and then worked through the night to check on every other member of the facilities. All individuals at the facilities are isolated and are being evaluated.”
Wieder and her family hope people will listen to them, who they lost, and finally take this virus more seriously.
“It’s everywhere, and everyone needs to take this seriously, and we need to control the spread,” said Wieder.
“I hope that everyone will practice social distancing and take this pandemic seriously,” said Erik, “but I hope especially older folks who are vulnerable.”
“If [my mother] is negative, it would be a huge relief. If she’s positive, well, OK, then we know we might have to have some faith,” said Wieder, “but we can be more diligent about really being really careful with her and any symptoms, so I don’t have to lose both of my parents.”
A spokesperson for Atria Willow Wood Senior Living and Memory Care provided an update about patient testing. In a statement, they said, “As of today there have been four other residents at the hospital being tested for COVID-19. We have received conformation that one of these tests is negative, and we await results of the other tests.”
The spokesperson Mike Gentry further stated, “We are working closely with [the Florida Department of Health] as well as the CDC to monitor the situation and take additional steps to mitigate any potential spread. Our experienced staff remains on site and has implemented additional quarantine protocols.”
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