COVID-19 UPDATE | January 24th, 2022

Good afternoon,

As the county covid positivity rate begins to lower, we are glad to share that new cases are also slowing at Santa Marta. Over the last week, we have had an additional 14 new cases, 12 of those being staff and only 2 being residents. We continue to test all of our staff and residents twice weekly in order to stay ahead of any new cases.

With that being said, I wanted to provide up-to-date numbers, including those staff and residents who are now considered recovered throughout the current outbreak. Previously, we have been providing numbers based on our healthcare staff. The updated numbers below will reflect many staff that do not work in healthcare or have any direct contact with residents. As of the writing of this update, we currently have 11 actively positive staff. We are pleased to say that, while nearly all staff are experiencing some symptoms, the vast majority are mild to moderate. For residents, we are now down to only 3 currently positive, 1 from Skilled Nursing, 1 from Assisted Living and 1 from Memory Support.  As with staff, the same can be said for our residents; many are experiencing mild to moderate symptoms and we continue to keep a close eye on them as they recover on our covid unit.

Looking back to when this outbreak likely began on December 28^th, in addition to the current positive staff, we have 72 staff who are now considered recovered. We also have 22 residents now considered recovered.

We will continue twice weekly testing of all staff and residents until we receive at least two rounds of all negative tests. As things are rapidly evolving, we will continue to keep everyone updated. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call.

Current federal and state guidance provides that visitation remain open even during an outbreak.  We are pleased residents and families continue to remain connected and remind all, that if you do choose to visit at this time, visitation should only be held in a resident’s room or apartment or may also be held outdoors.  Masks should be worn by visitors at all times.  Many counties/cities around us are reinstituting mask mandates, and even when these are not in place, we encourage you to wear masks in public spaces and continue all mitigation efforts, like hand-hygiene and social distancing.

I would like to thank everyone for their support and thank all of our staff who have adapted so well and continue to work so hard to make sure that our residents receive the care they need.