COVID-19 Update – November 25, 2020

Friends and Family of Santa Marta,

With the Thanksgiving holiday upon us, we find ourselves in an unprecedented predicament with many of us unable to see and visit our loved ones. Nonetheless, our community has much to be thankful for. Not only are we blessed with courageous residents and team members who inspire us with their strength in the face of a global pandemic, we are also fortunate to have the unwavering support of our families and loved ones.

We are grateful to share that we still have no positive cases of COVID-19 among healthcare residents. Our latest round of testing for all healthcare residents was completed yesterday and results are still pending.

As for team members, we conducted 197 tests earlier this week for all healthcare staff. Of the 160 results we have received so far, all were negative except one. The impacted employee hasn’t worked at our community since July so there are no concerns of exposure to others. This individual was tested to determine whether they could return to work. A second round of testing for all healthcare staff is scheduled for today.

In total, we have nine positive cases among Santa Marta employees, all of whom are safely recovering at home. All pending results for residents and team members will be shared in future updates.

With Johnson County’s positivity rate still above 10%, indoor visitations remain temporarily suspended communitywide as per CMS directives. Window visits, video calls and social media continue to be the safest methods of staying connected with your loved ones. While independent living guests may still visit outdoors and we continue to offer compassionate care visits with strict safety measures, communicating virtually is most prudent.

Per CDC recommendations, we strongly encourage limiting Thanksgiving celebrations to members of your immediate household. Steering clear of holiday travel and large gatherings will help protect yourself and others, especially seniors who are disproportionally affected by COVID-19.

As we reflect on God’s blessings, we dedicate the following Thanksgiving prayer to offer solace and hope as we persevere through this ongoing challenge:

Dear Lord,

 Thank you for allowing me to awake to yet another day. I am grateful for the beauty of the sun and all your creations. Sometimes I forget to express my gratitude for the blessings you continue to bestow upon me. But during this Thanksgiving week, rather than complain over what I don’t have, help me to focus in on all the wonderful blessings you have given me.

 In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Unless there are major developments, our regularly scheduled Friday updates will resume next week. Please don’t hesitate to contact me and the rest of the Santa Marta leadership team at updates@www.santamartaretirement.com with any questions.

We hope you all have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Thank you and God bless,

Chet Surmaczewicz

Executive Director