“Unfortunately outbreaks at nursing homes and long-term care facilities are very common,” Suffoletto said. “Anywhere people live closely together and share some of the same facilities and services there is a great change of the spread of COVID-19.
Public Health is working with the management at all long-term care facilities to help ensure they are doing everything they can be done to stop the spread, he said.
The revised numbers are more than double the amount reported Monday: 10 residents and six staff members.
“We are deeply saddened and offer our heartfelt prayers for all those affected by COVID-19, as well as for St. Leonard’s exceptional caregivers who are working tirelessly around the clock to protect the well-being of our residents as part of our sacred ministry,” Christine Wasserman, director of communications for CHI Living Communities, said in statement sent Wednesday to Dayton Daily News.
This is not the first time the facility has reported cases of COVID-19, There was an outbreak in June with six staff cases, but that is now closed, Suffoletto said. There have been no deaths from COVID-19 in the confirmed cases, Wasserman said.
To help ensure the safety of its residents and employees, St. Leonard continues working closely with federal, state and local public health officials to monitor and report any active and suspected cases of COVID-19, and follow current guidance from them as it has since the start of the pandemic, Wasserman said.
With seniors at a higher risk for contracting the virus than the general population, a greater concentration of positive cases in senior care facilities has been trending throughout the United States, she said.
Because of the high-risk population it serves, St. Leonard has put into place and continues following numerous measures to prevent and reduce the spread of the virus, Wasserman said. Those measures include restricting visitors, including outdoor visits; suspending communal activities, such as group dining; and monitoring residents and employees for any potential signs of COVID-19.
The facility also is isolating residents with symptoms and sending staff with symptoms home to self-quarantine; being “extra vigilant” of best infection control practices, such as frequent handwashing and disinfecting surfaces; and requiring universal masking for all employees.
St. Leonard also is supplying staff with recommended personal protective equipment and the education needed to know when and how to effectively use it, Wasserman said.
“To provide transparency to our residents, families and employees, we continue notifying them each time a suspected or positive COVID-19 case is identified in the facility, and when three residents or employees have new onset of symptoms occurring within three days,” she said.
St. Leonard is striving to release that notification within 24 hours and also is sharing frequent updates with those individuals that include the cumulative number of cases in the facility, Wasserman said.
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