KELLOGG, Idaho — A long-term care facility in Kellogg, Idaho has seen 74 confirmed cases and five deaths in a coronavirus outbreak.
Mountain Valley of Cascadia showed just eight confirmed or suspected cases of coronavirus a week-and-a-half ago, according to an Idaho state report. But now, 74 cases and five deaths are associated with the facility.
The cases include both staff and residents.
Cases at the facility account for 40 percent of all coronavirus cases in Shoshone County, and the five deaths account for almost half of all COVID-19 deaths in the county.
A spokesperson for Mountain Valley of Cascadia's parent company said that 49 residents at the facility had tested positive or are presumed to be positive based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. The spokesperson said all but five are no longer in isolation or have remained asymptomatic.
The spokesperson also cited an outbreak in the area as having impacted the facility.
The leadership team at Mountain Valley of Cascadia is in contact with the Panhandle Health District as well as residents and their families, according to the spokesperson.
Mountain Valley of Cascadia is focusing on reopening visitation times, as well as dining and activities, according to a spokesperson.
A Panhandle Health District spokesperson told KREM they've been working with the facility during the outbreak, but wasn't able to discuss specific measures the facility is taking to combat the outbreak.
Mountain Valley of Cascadia's parent company's full statement is below:
The last couple of weeks have seen an unfortunate outbreak of COVID-19 in our local area, which has affected our Mountain Valley of Cascadia Facility. Our Facility’s leadership is communicating regularly with the health department to validate implementation of the most current Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) directives. There is daily and weekly communication with the residents, families and staff about changes and/or updates. We continue to strictly follow all infection control and other CMS and CDC guidelines to ensure the safety of our residents, and we are following and encouraging Governor Little's guidance on how our employees can interact in the community, including wearing masks, practicing social distancing and taking other recommended precautions.
Of our 49 Mountain Valley residents, while all have either tested or been presumptively categorized as positive without testing pursuant to CMS and/or CDC guidelines, 44 of those residents have met the guidelines for reduction in isolation as 10-20 days have passed or they have remained asymptomatic.
While a difficult period, our evolution has us in a place where we are working on our next stage recovery plan. Communication with our resident community is now focused on re-opening options for visitation, dining, and activities while maintaining the CDC guidelines for increased hand hygiene, mask use, and recommendations for some level of social distancing.
Finally, in the midst of managing care for each individual resident, we continue to experience extreme external challenges. Our staffing costs continue to increase, as there is a need for more staff, and there are risks involved as we look to hire and align with CDC guidelines. Further, maintaining adequate supplies of PPE and access to testing (and timely results) also remain challenges. As we continue to traverse this situation, we need the Governor’s Office, Idaho Department of Health & Welfare and district health agencies to focus on reducing the level of COVID among the state’s general population, which includes encouraging everyone to wear a mask, social distance and maintain other health and wellness practices in this crisis.