SPOKANE, Wash. — A retirement community on Spokane's South Hill is reporting an outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus among its residents and staff.
Rockwood Retirement South Hill received results of its COVID-19 testing on Saturday, Aug. 1. Seven residents and five staff members at the location have tested positive as of Sunday, Aug. 2, according to a notice posted online by the retirement community.
One resident with underlying health conditions who tested positive for COVID-19 passed away on July 31, the retirement community said.
Coronavirus cases are isolated to the community's licensed areas of assisted living and skilled nursing. The residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 reside in the retirement community's Atrium area and one of the team members worked in assisted living, according to the notice.
There are no residents of assisted living or the community's memory care unit who have confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19.
Rockwood is not reporting positive cases for any residents of its Hawthorne campus.
Residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 at the South Hill location have been moved to an isolated area within their unit and staff are assigned to only work that area.
Team members who have tested positive have been removed from the schedule and will self-isolate for 14 days while monitoring symptoms, according to the notice.
Several other health care and long-term care facilities in Spokane County have reported COVID-19 outbreaks since the pandemic began
SRHD spokesperson Kelli Hawkins said Royal Park Health and Rehabilitation had a total of 32 positive cases as of July 27.
Another rehab facility, Franklin Hills Health and Rehab in North Spokane also reported an outbreak, Hawkins said. She could not confirm exactly how many positive cases were reported there.
In Spokane County, the largest reported outbreak at a long-term care facility is at the Spokane Veterans Home. Forty-six of its residents and at least 23 staff members tested positive for coronavirus, and ten residents have passed away.
A representative from the Spokane Regional Health District is evaluating Rockwood in its mitigation strategies and infection control procedures in response to COVID-19.
According to its online notice, Rockwood has already taken the following measures to mitigate risk of exposure:
• All team members are wearing masks and residents wear masks when they are not in their private residence.
• Dining rooms are closed. Meals are being delivered to residents.
• All group activities are canceled.
• All visitors are restricted until further notice.
• Common area surfaces are sanitized consistently, 24 hours a day.
• All team members and returning residents are screened upon entry per CDC guidelines.
• Team members who can work remotely are working from home.
• Any team member that presents with symptoms is not being allowed to work.
The retirement community is also taking these additional measures:
• All health care areas are under strict quarantine.
• Health care team members are using a separate entrance and screening area.
• Health care team members will work only within a designated unit only, no staff sharing between units.
• An isolation area has been set up within skilled nursing, and staff are assigned to those positive residents only.
• Team members with direct contact with COVID positive residents are wearing full personal protective equipment protection.
• The retirement community is scheduling future testing for all Rockwood staff and healthcare residents for this coming week. The exact date will be determined with the help from SRHD.
Those with additional questions can contact Andrew Gorton, general manager of Rockwood South Hill, at 509-536-6657.
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