Memo-COVID-19 Update-December 18, 2020
FROM: John Burns, President and CEO; Will Blackwell, Vice President Health Services; Debra Jacobsen, Administrator Residential Living; and Sloan Verlander, Administrator Assisted Living
SUBJECT: COVID-19 Update
DATE: December 18, 2020
As we complete a difficult week at Westminster Canterbury Richmond, we are grateful for this caring, resilient community of residents, employees, family members and more. “The Westminster Canterbury Way” truly shines this holiday season as we anticipate brighter days that will come soon.
COVID-19 Cases
We are grateful to share that twenty-one residents who tested positive for COVID-19 since the beginning of November have recovered. Two residents are currently infected with COVID-19 and being cared for in the hospital. We are deeply saddened to report that over the course of the pandemic, eight of our resident friends and neighbors have passed away due to COVID-19. We are not aware of any active cases of COVID-19 on our campus.
Routine testing in Mary Morton Parsons Health Center continues per guidelines from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Our testing schedule is based on Henrico’s positivity rate, which rose above 10% this week. Due to this, we must test twice per week until it goes down. We expect to do this for at least the next four weeks.
This week we learned of four new cases of COVID-19 in employees who work in Parsons Health Center. A total of eight employees who tested positive for COVID-19 are recovering at home in quarantine.
COVID-19 Vaccination Updates
At the Live Update on Tuesday, December 15, we shared information about the COVID-19 vaccine. Westminster Canterbury continues planning conversations with CVS regarding vaccine distribution in our community. They will select the clinic dates for Westminster Canterbury. We anticipate it will be early January before the clinics will be scheduled. Arrangements will happen quickly once dates are confirmed.
We will need your help! Each person who receives the COVID-19 vaccine must provide a consent form. For any residents for whom a family member or medical POA must grant permission, Westminster Canterbury will need these responsible parties to quickly return consent forms once the forms are available. Please stay tuned for more information on how you can help us prepare in the coming days and weeks.
While Westminster Canterbury is not mandating that employees or residents take the vaccine, we hope to have 100% participation. Next week, we will share detailed information, answers to your frequently asked questions and more to help each of us prepare for vaccination.
Visitation, Programs and Services
Westminster Canterbury follows the latest guidance from CMS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Virginia Department of Health (VDH) in our response to the pandemic. Visitation and many programs and services are currently suspended. Westminster Canterbury has no immediate plans to resume visitation due to new cases in our community and rising infection rates in the Richmond region.
Follow the Core Principles of COVID-19 Infection Prevention
Now more than ever, we need your help following these guidelines that protect us and help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
• Wear a mask at all times when around others. Always carry a mask with you.
• Wash your hands frequently and use hand sanitizer.
• Always maintain social distancing of at least six feet.
• Everyone must be screened before entering our community.
• Follow enhanced safety and disinfection recommendations from the CDC, CMS and VDH.
• Stay home if you do not feel well and contact your physician.
• Throughout the holiday season, in-person gatherings with individuals outside your household are discouraged. Stay connected and celebrate by phone or in virtual ways.
Ongoing Updates
• Stay up-to-date with us online. Check the COVID-19 Update page and blog at www.WCRICHMOND.org.
• Live Update videos air on our in-house TV970. Recordings are available later on www.WCRICHMOND.org, www.facebook.com/wcrichmond or on TV971 daily at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Our next Live Update is Tuesday, December 22, at 3 p.m.
Thank you for your care and support!