Update August 28, 2020

The employee testing for this week has been completed.  So far, all results are negative with 99% of the results returned.  Resident testing was completed today.  We will report on those results once they are received.  We are required to complete testing again next week per DOH guidance. The facility remains at Step 1 in the Department of Health's plans to re-open.  It has been 11 days since our last employee tested positive.  We are required to go 14 days with no new confirmed positive reslts before we can move to Step 2.  If there are no new positive results next week, we will plan to open to visitors on September 9th.  I will post the re-opening plan here next week.  There are no changes in the plan that was originally posted on July 24th.  All processes remain in place to assure safety during the reopening.  

We will resume communal dining in the solarium next week.  Additionally, we have been holding small group activities in the solarium. Residents and staff are maintaining distance of greater than six feet and wearing masks.  The area is cleaned and disinfected after each use.

I want yout to know that we understand difficult this has been for all of you.  We want nothing more than to be able to reunite the residents with their loved ones.  This pandemic has proven to be a marathon which seems to have no end in sight.  Our employees are members of the greater community.  They are exposed when they are at the grorcery store, gas station, or even attending family events.  We know that there are people who are carrying the virus but have no symptoms.  We cannot control the lives of our employees outside of our walls. All we can do is educate and ask them to take all necessary precautions to protect themselves so that we can protect our residents.  Any new positive test result requires that we go back to Step 1 in the Department of Health's reopening plan guidance.  You have been patient and very understanding as we have worked through the challenges of the pandemic.  Please don't lose faith in us now.  We have not had a positive resident case in almost three months despite the fact that we have had sporadic employee cases.  We remain committed to the safety and protection of our residents.  We share in your frustration with the delays in our reopening but are committed to continue working towards making this happen as soon as possible.  

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