Local media reports had previously alleged that the nursing home was not properly equipped to deal with the Covid-19 outbreak, with staff reportedly lacking appropriate masks and sometimes having to wear bin bags as gowns.
Lina Scacco, an assistant vice president at the home, rejected the claim, saying: “It’s actually disturbing to me that people are telling you that. We have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on personal protective equipment.
“Whoever is telling you these things… maybe there is something going on in their lives or they are trying to sensationalise things. I don’t trust them.”
Residents of Parker Jewish Institute include war veterans and Holocaust survivors.
Ms Scacco told AP the care home was planning virtual memorials and grief counseling for staff members.
“This has been devastating to our families,” Ms Scacco said.