Doctor and senior woman wearing facemasks during coronavirus and flu outbreak. Virus protection. COVID-2019..

The state of Connecticut is opening a fourth recovery center for COVID-19 patients in an effort to ease stress on nursing providers throughout the state. 

The recovery centers allow nursing homes to transfer their COVID-19 patients there for treatment, while they manage the rest of their residents, the CT Mirror reported.

Connecticut providers have previously stressed the need for creating COVID-only recovery centers since early in the pandemic. The goal is to help create additional bed space and prevent the disease from spreading throughout facilities. Health officials plan to begin transferring COVID residents into the new facility starting this week, opening up 120 new beds for COVID residents.

“The trick is to keep it from getting into the building,” said Matthew Barrett, president and CEO of the Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities. “When you find people in the building that have it, try to get those people out of the facility, or get the well people out. So we’re looking at the concept of COVID-19 specific nursing facilities, at least for the time being during the pandemic,” he added. 

The state reported about 670 new coronavirus cases among nursing home residents between late October and mid-November. 

As of last week, 99 out of the 184 available beds were occupied at the other three COVID-only recovery centers. 

A Massachusetts provider was the first to create a facility focused solely on treating patients with COVID-19 in a partnership with health and state officials.