GRANT COUNTY — Long-term care facilities, the sites of some of the most deadly outbreaks of the coronavirus across the country, have largely been on lockdown since the pandemic began, making it more difficult for prospective clients to be admitted.

At McKay Healthcare and Rehab in Soap Lake, facility staff said that other than limited visitation for end-of-life patients, no guests or visitors are allowed. And while they are accepting new clients, those clients have to go into quarantine for 10 days inside the facility before they are able to move more freely, or nearly as long if they’ve recently had a negative COVID-19 test result, according to staff.

Once there, however, staff said they have been working with patients to use cellphones and video software to communicate with family and friends outside of the facility.

Things become more complicated at sites where a person infected with the virus has been recently located, however.

Only two sites in Grant County, Summer Wood Alzheimer’s Special Care Center and Brookdale Hearthstone, both located in Moses Lake, have had a confirmed case of the coronavirus. Other facilities are being regularly tested by state and local officials to ensure any outbreak is caught early.

Under guidance from the state Department of Health, Summer Wood, for instance, is not able to admit new residents until everyone living or working at the facility is symptom-free and no new COVID-19 tests come back positive for at least 14 days, said Administrator Laurie Ahmann in an email.

Knowing that facilities like Summer Wood provide particular, specialized services, Ahmann said their team is committed to continue being a resource to families and caretakers during the closure.

“Families can still call our community, so we can make recommendations on other care options in the interim,” Ahmann said.