the Iowa Veterans Home continues to battle COVID and  staffing shortages.

The state’s largest long-term health facility is one of two facilities in the state listed on the outbreak list per the state’s COVID-19 website. Acting Commandant Penny Cutler-Bermudez, responding to a report in the Iowa-based Bleeding Heartland blog, says that while two residents who recently died while in the IVH COVID unit, their deaths were related to other significant health concerns and were not COVID-related. Cutler-Bermudez says the facility has had 7 residents with the virus during the outbreak, but 5 of the 7 have returned to their home unit. Cutler-Bermudez, who is also IVH’s Licensed Nursing Home Administrator, says while staffing is a challenge, the facility continues to be rated five stars.

The other long-term care facility listed classified as being in an outbreak as of Wednesday morning is Marian Home in Webster County.