News Photo by Crystal Nelson Lincoln Haven Nursing and Rehabilitation Community is pictured on Tuesday in Lincoln.

LINCOLN — Four employees at Lincoln Haven Nursing and Rehabilitation Community in Lincoln have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to state data.

None of the long-term care facility’s residents are reported infected with the virus, according to the most recent data provided by the state, but the number of infected employees has gradually increased over the last week.

Calls to the nursing home’s corporate office — Atrium Centers Inc. — were not returned.

The facility has been cited by state regulators for several violations, including for an incident in which employees were seen cleaning the rooms of two residents in isolation after virus exposure without proper personal protective equipment or hand-washing and without following proper procedure, according to state records.

The facility promised training and improved supervision of workers.

Lincoln Haven was also the subject of four investigations since September 2019, prompted by complaints regarding cleanliness, physical safety of residents, and improper handling of paperwork leading to resident endangerment.

Devin Spivey, community health director and epidemiologist with District Health Departments No. 2 and No. 4, said in an email to The News that, because of the increased community spread of the virus, containment is “more complex than ever.”

“The nature of direct patient care provided in long-term care facilities and the vulnerable status of the residents increases the public health threat posed by a single positive case of COVID-19 to the entire facility — residents and staff,” she said in the email, referring to the disease caused by the virus. “Therefore, it is critical that every resident and visitor to our area act responsibly in mitigating the spread of COVID-19, especially to protect our most vulnerable populations.”

Flip through the interactive timeline below to see how the coronavirus spread through Northeast Michigan. Story continues below the timeline.

Older adults and those with underlying health conditions are most at risk of severe illness from COVID-19, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC reports eight out of 10 American COVID-19 deaths have been adults 65 and older. The greatest risk for severe illness is among those 85 or older.

As of Wednesday, 62 residents and 36 employees in long-term care facilities in Northeast Michigan had been infected with the virus since the pandemic hit Michigan in mid-March, including 61 residents and 31 employees at MediLodge Alpena and one resident and one employee at MediLodge of Rogers City.

Nine MediLodge of Alpena residents have died while infected with the virus.

Nursing homes account for at least 54% of all infections and 53% of all coronavirus-related deaths in Northeast MIchigan.

According to the most recent state data, 8,225 long-term care facility residents have been infected statewide and 2,090 of them have died and 4,411 nursing home employees have been infected statewide and 21 have died.

The U.S. Department of Justice recently asked Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the governors of three other states to turn over data related to nursing homes. The Justice Department wants to know how many people were admitted to nursing homes after testing positive for COVID-19 or died at a nursing home while infected with the disease.

Whitmer attributed the letter to “election year politics.”

A state nursing home task force on Tuesday made 28 recommendations that would improve the quality of life for nursing home residents, improve access to resources, and provide staff with more education and training.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Crystal Nelson can be reached at 989-358-5687 or cnelson@thealpenanews.com.