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An official with Crowne Health Care of Greenville confirmed late Friday afternoon that the Alabama National Guard will be onsite early next week to disinfect the 118-bed, skilled-nursing facility that currently houses 78 residents and is located in the middle of the Camellia City.

A special team with the National Guard will be deployed to the nursing home Monday to sanitize and deep-clean it. The service is being offered free of charge on a voluntary basis to skilled-nursing facilities throughout the state, according to Crowne spokeswoman Frances Coleman.

“We appreciate the opportunity to utilize this service,” she said in a statement.

According to Coleman, 87 employees are currently staffing the Greenville nursing home. There are currently 35 COVID-positive residents being cared for in the facility and another 26 in area hospitals. Eight residents have passed away that tested positive for COVID-19, but the cause of death has not been determined.

Coleman said that Crowne is grateful for the support of local hospitals, which have welcomed residents who have exhibited symptoms of the COVID-19 virus.

“We have a great relationship with the hospitals in Greenville and Wetumpka,” she said. “They’ve been very supportive and helpful in this difficult time.”

In addition, 32 employees have tested positive for the virus. None are hospitalized and there have been no employee deaths, according to Coleman.

As of 5 p.m. Friday, the Alabama Department of Public Health reported 252 confirmed cases of coronavirus and eight deaths. A total of 946 have been administered, however, those numbers are expected to increase over the weekend following Friday’s drive-thru COVID-19 testing clinic at the Butler County Health Department.

Coleman also noted that the disease has been especially hard on elderly people with pre-existing health problems, including nursing home residents nationwide.

“It is a brutal virus,” she said. “At the very beginning, we instituted safety precautions designed to protect our residents and employees from exposure to it.”

Lastly, Coleman said that morale is high at Crowne Health Care. She added that staff members are caring for residents in accordance with federal and state health officials’ guidelines.

“We are blessed with great employees who are dedicated to our residents,” Coleman concluded. “They believe in our mission, which is to provide compassionate and professional care for the people entrusted to us.”

The ADPH also reports 52 cases of COVID-19 and one death following 452 tests administered in neighboring Crenshaw County, as well as, 119 cases and nine deaths after 257 tests in Lowndes County.