Memo-COVID-19 Update-January 11, 2021
FROM: John Burns, President and CEO; Will Blackwell, Vice President Health Services; Windley Gravatt, Vice President Workforce Services; Debra Jacobsen, Administrator Residential Living; and Sloan Verlander, Administrator Assisted Living
SUBJECT: COVID-19 Update
DATE: January 11, 2021
As predicted, our region is seeing an increase in cases of COVID-19, including among the Westminster Canterbury Richmond community. Thank you for your care and support! Our community is strong, and we will get through these challenging times together.
Resident Cases
A total of five residents are being cared for in our COVID-19 positive unit by a dedicated team that works only in this area, including three residents from Mary Morton Parsons Health Center, one from The Gables and one from Independent Living.
A number of Independent Living residents are in quarantine after exposure to family members, friends or independent contractors who have tested positive for COVID-19. Please remember that there are risks involved when you invite outside contractors and personal employees into your apartment or attend in-person gatherings. If you are exposed, you must follow guidelines from the Virginia Department of Health, which may include a 14-day quarantine. Following quarantine protocols is extremely important in helping to prevent further spread of the virus.
Employee Cases
A total of 15 employees have currently tested positive for COVID-19 and continue to recover. Six new cases were confirmed since our last memo update on Friday, January 8. These employees work in Dining, Westminster Canterbury Richmond at Home, Genesis Rehab, Resource Development and two from Parsons Health Center First Floor. A number of others are in quarantine due to experiencing symptoms related to COVID-19 or after being exposed to someone who has tested positive.
Mary Morton Parsons Health Center
Due to new employee cases, Parsons Health Center First Floor is in isolation. Non-essential employees and residents should not use the Parsons Health Center elevators to access the Marketplace or Clinic areas. Routine testing for Parsons Health Center employees continues twice weekly per guidelines from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Residents are tested weekly.
Assisted Living
The Gables and Monticello are in quarantine until Saturday, January 23.
Child Development Center
Two children who attend our Child Development Center tested positive for COVID-19. Per the guidance from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), the Young Preschool and Pre-K Classrooms will be closed and in quarantine.
COVID-19 Vaccination Updates
Westminster Canterbury continues to coordinate resident and employee vaccination with CVS Health. The process is regulated and controlled by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). We will receive the dates for Assisted Living and Independent Living vaccination clinics from CVS Health. We hope to have more information to share later this week.
Follow the Core Principles of COVID-19 Infection Prevention
Westminster Canterbury follows the latest guidance from CMS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and VDH in our response to the pandemic. Please take special care to stay home, monitor yourself for symptoms of COVID-19 and follow these guidelines in the coming weeks to help protect yourself and others. Always wear a mask when around others. Wash your hands frequently and use hand sanitizer. Always maintain social distancing of at least six feet. Stay home if you do not feel well and contact your physician. In-person gatherings with individuals outside your household are discouraged. Stay connected by phone or in virtual ways.
Ongoing Updates
• Stay up to date on www.WCRICHMOND.org with the COVID-19 Update page and blog.
• Live Update videos air on our in-house TV970. Recordings are available on www.WCRICHMOND.org, www.facebook.com/wcrichmond or TV971 daily at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Our next Live Update is Tuesday, January 12, at 3 p.m.
Thank you!