COVID-19 UPDATE | September 4, 2020

Friends and Family of Santa Marta,

As we head into Labor Day weekend, we remain grateful and resilient with no active cases of COVID-19 among residents at our community.

The two team members who had previously tested positive for the virus – a healthcare dining server and a CNA from skilled nursing – continue to successfully recover at home. Contact tracing was completed, and no additional staff members or residents have tested positive.

We continue to adhere to local, state and federal health authorities on protocols and procedures. As per guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), we adjusted to weekly testing for all health care staff on Wednesday, August 2. As usual, results will be shared in our ongoing website and Facebook updates. This testing frequency will remain in place based on the positivity rate of COVID-19 tests in Johnson County, which remain high.

Due to this spike in the surrounding area, outdoor visits remain temporarily suspended at our community. We encourage families and loved ones to utilize window visits and video calls to stay in touch with residents during this period. We greatly appreciate your support and understanding in our efforts to keep everyone at Santa Marta COVID-free.

We also recently received some rapid antigen test kits from CMS, enabling us to screen and test for COVID-19 on-site. Given the limited quantity, we’re utilizing these supplies on a limited basis. Any rapid testing results at our community are verified by laboratory tests to ensure accuracy.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me or the Santa Marta Management Team (updates@www.santamartaretirement.com) if you have any questions.

We wish you and your loved ones a safe holiday weekend.

Thank you and God bless,

Chet Surmaczewicz

Executive Director