The Communications Department at PruittHealth issued the following statement this afternoon:

“We are saddened to share that a veteran at North Carolina State Veterans Home – Kinston passed away Tuesday, April 21 after testing presumptive positive for COVID-19. The veteran’s family has been informed, and out of respect for the situation, we will not be commenting further.  

“Our veterans' safety and well-being are top priorities at PruittHealth. Out of an abundance of caution, we notified all employees and veterans recently in contact with this individual and recommended they contact a physician and self-quarantine. Additional COVID-19 testing for all veterans at North Carolina State Veterans Home - Kinston is underway. Results will be posted to PruittHealth.com when they are available.

“The Alert Code for North Carolina State Veterans Home – Kinston has been escalated to Red, meaning nonessential personnel are banned from the location and no new admissions are allowed. PruittHealth is continuing to follow guidance from public health officials, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

“We will continue to monitor the issue and its effects on our center as we follow the latest public health guidance. We ask any employee, veteran, or family member with questions to contact our Emergency Operations Center at 855-742-5983.”

The PruittHealth Emergency Operations Center's phone number (855-742-5983) is “open 24/7 and is staffed by PruittHealth nurses and healthcare professionals who can help address a family’s questions and even connect them to their loved ones by scheduling a family video chat. They are averaging about 500 calls per day and have scheduled more than 7,000 video chats.”