Sister-in-law of man who died of COVID-19 critical of Miami Springs nursing home with 106 cases

MIAMI SPRINGS, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Florida woman who lost her brother-in-law to COVID-19 said the assisted living facility where he lived, which health officials said has more than 100 confirmed cases of the virus, has not done enough to protect their residents.

Speaking with 7News on Sunday, Carmen Marin said she was compelled to come forward to share her family’s tragedy.

“One of the many sad stories that probably will be coming out,” she said.

Marin said her brother-in-law, Jose Garcia, was a resident at Fair Havens Center in Miami Springs for three years and was just diagnosed with COVID-19 on April 27.

Three days later, Marin said, he was admitted to the hospital with shortness of breath.

“My brother-in-law was taken to the hospital on Thursday. He died Friday, not even 48 hours after he was taken,” she said.

A recent report from the Florida Department of Health revealed a troubling statistic at the home: 106 people have tested positive for COVID-19, 89 residents and 17 staffers.

The cluster of reported cases at the facility is the highest in Miami-Dade County and the second largest in the state.

Marin said she wants to know why the testing for her brother-in-law came so late and whether closing doors to visitors in March gave administrators a false sense of security.

“If there was nobody coming in here except the workers, shouldn’t the workers have been tested before to make sure that this pandemia wouldn’t have been as big as it is right now?” she said.

Marin said she hopes that by sharing her story, she can help others to avoid the kind of grief her family is facing.

“It’s very painful what we’re going through. I wish nobody has to go through this,” she said.

Miami Springs officials said they are working with state and county agencies to address the issue.

Anyone with questions and concerns about the coronavirus can call the Florida Department of Health’s 24-hour hotline at 1-866-779-6121.

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