Memo-COVID-19 Update-December 11, 2020
FROM: John Burns, President and CEO; Will Blackwell, Vice President Health Services; Debra Jacobsen, Administrator Residential Living; Sloan Verlander, Administrator Assisted Living
SUBJECT: COVID-19 Update
DATE: December 11, 2020
This week, Westminster Canterbury Richmond celebrated some of our favorite holiday traditions in untraditional ways! On Tuesday, our resident-run Employee Christmas Fund committee held the annual presentation of gifts of appreciation for our employees. On Thursday, we announced our employee Hall of Fame recipients who demonstrate TWCW – The Westminster Canterbury Way – with consistent, outstanding customer service. We hope you will follow us on social media and watch the Live Updates to celebrate with us!
Our dedication to taking personal responsibility for following the recommended protocols is the key to our community staying safe and healthy. Thank you for continuing to follow the guidelines that are critical to our ability to reopen our community when the circumstances allow. Please take care and stay safe during the holidays! These are the latest updates on COVID-19 and its impact on the Westminster Canterbury community.
COVID-19 Cases
We are grateful to share that twenty residents who tested positive for COVID-19 since the beginning of November have recovered. Four residents are currently infected with COVID-19 and being cared for in the hospital. We are deeply saddened to report that seven of our resident friends and neighbors have passed away due to COVID-19.
Routine testing in Mary Morton Parsons Health Center continues per guidelines from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Today we learned that a Registered Nurse (RN) in Parsons Health Center has tested positive for COVID-19. Six employees who tested positive for COVID-19 are recovering at home in quarantine. We are thankful to report that all others who tested positive in November have recovered and returned to work.
COVID-19 Vaccination Updates
Westminster Canterbury is in planning conversations with CVS regarding vaccine distribution. We hope to have specific details to share in the coming weeks.
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.
With Governor Northam’s announcement of new measures to slow the spread of COVID-19, we are reviewing our current protocols to see if any changes are needed. We will share more at the Live Update on Tuesday, December 15. Throughout the holiday season, the latest advice discourages in-person gatherings with individuals outside your household. We encourage you to stay connected and celebrate by phone or in virtual ways.
Deliveries from Family and Friends
Family and friends who need to deliver items for residents may come to the Tower Entrance. Courtesy Services will be available to accept the delivery and take it to the resident, or residents may accept the delivery in person. Beginning Tuesday, December 15, this service will be available for expanded hours on Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Follow the Core Principles of COVID-19 Infection Prevention
Now more than ever, we need your help following these guidelines to keep one another well.
• 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.
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 15, at 3 p.m.