Live Update to Residents-April 17, 2020
Daily Live updates to residents on our in-house TV970 have become a popular way for us to stay in touch while social distancing! Today’s update featured John Burns, President and CEO; Scott Jonté, Director of Dining; David Curtis, Chaplain; and a special performance by Jessica Corbitt, Manager Cultural Arts; Eric Price, Digital Media Specialist; Taryn Young, Fitness Specialist; and Lynne Cook, Recreation Coordinator.
The following updates were shared during the live briefing on TV970.
John Burns
In the United States today, there are more than 632,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19. There have been more than 31,000 deaths. As of this morning, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) reports:
• 48,997 people have been tested for COVID-19
• There have been 602 positive cases since yesterday. Total positive COVID-19 cases in Virginia are 7,491.
• 1,221 have been hospitalized
• 231 total deaths
• 951 have recovered
• We have 532 cases in Henrico County, 201 in the City of Richmond, 291 in Chesterfield County and 70 in Hanover County.
There are confirmed cases of COVID-19 in residents and staff at most senior living organizations in Virginia at this point, with a total of 63 outbreaks, which are defined as more than one active case, in long-term care facilities. Thankfully, at Westminster Canterbury Richmond, everyone who tested positive continues to recover and we have nothing new to report as of today.
John Burns and Dr. Danny Felty have been appointed to Governor Northam’s Long-Term Care Task Force. The first call was held yesterday. The focus of the Task Force includes data, staffing, training, financing, testing, personal protective equipment, infection control and hospital discharge guidelines. John will share updates from the weekly meetings.
While there is a national conversation about a timeline for reopening businesses to help the economy, Westminster Canterbury is not ready to discuss when our services will return to normal. Virginia is behind the national curve for COVID-19 cases as infections in our region started much later than in other regions. We will wait for clear guidance from the Governor of Virginia and VDH. It is still very dangerous for us to have any programming where staff and residents would be in close proximity, and we are committed to continuing efforts to keep infection outside our campus.
There will be no mail delivery on Saturday. We hope normal services will resume soon and will share updates when they are available.
There will be no live update on Saturday or Sunday. The next update will be Monday at 3 p.m.
Scott Jonté
Scott shared a behind-the-scenes look at Dining operations and how meals are safely prepared. All staff go through a question screening and temperature check when they arrive on campus before reporting to work.
Dining also follows these procedures:
• All staff wear masks during meal production and frequently wash hands, sanitize and don new gloves in between tasks.
• We have a complete separation of duties to prevent cross-exposure. Staff are assigned specific job duties, which creates a separation of roles and job functions, such as order takers, dinner platers, baggers, cart loaders and deliverers.
• Cooks continuously wipe down stations. Three times per day, production comes to a stop, and all staff wipe down stations, handles, knobs and equipment.
• The dishwashing team mops the floors before production resumes.
• Transportation carts for Parsons Health Center, Avalon and Pavilion are sanitized after each meal period. Stocking duties are divided between household servers and kitchen staff to create separation of contact between staff.
Dining has residents’ health and wellbeing in mind every day!
Fun Friday
Watch the recording to see a performance of “Let it Be” by Jessica Corbitt, Manager Cultural Arts; Eric Price, Digital Media Specialist; Taryn Young, Fitness Specialist; and Lynne Cook, Recreation Coordinator.
David Curtis – Pastoral Care
On Sunday at 4 p.m., watch A Sermon for Every Sunday on TV970 featuring Rev. MaryAnn McKibben Dana, Presbyterian Minister and Author.
Matthew 22: 35-40
And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
Blessing
The world now is too dangerous
And too beautiful
For anything but love.
Love is a blessing.
So may your eyes be so blessed that you see God in everyone
Your lips – so you speak nothing but the truth
Your ears – so that you hear the cry of the poor
May your hands be so blessed that everything you give and everything you receive becomes holy
Your feet – so that you run to those who need you
And may your heart be so opened
So set on fire
That your love
Your love
Changes everything.
Amen.
-The Very Rev. Brian Baker