Washington state nursing home at center of first U.S. coronavirus outbreak hit with $611,000 fine

The Life Care Center of Kirkland may lose Medicare and Medicaid funding if it does not act quickly to fix a number of violations that led to the first major coronavirus outbreak in the United States. The facility will additionally face a fine of up to $611,000.

The nursing home in Washington state failed to report an outbreak of a respiratory illness for two weeks, and provided inadequate care to its residents, including failing to provide round-the-clock emergency services. Following an investigation of the nursing home, federal inspectors provided them with a letter detailing the ways that their facility must be immediately updated.

The elderly care home is tied to at minimum 129 cases of coronavirus and 37 deaths due to the illness.