Augusta nursing home has at least 70 cases of COVID-19

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – At least 70 residents and staff members at an Augusta, Georgia nursing home are being treated for novel Coronavirus.

According to Windermere Health and Rehabilitation Center’s parent company, SavaSeniorCare Administrative Services, 70 residents have tested positive for COVID-19. Sixty-seven of these patients are isolated in the rehab center, and three of the residents are being treated at the hospital.

The 120-bed care facility for the elderly is located off Dewey Gray Circle near Doctors Hospital.

There has been no reports of deaths as of Friday afternoon.

Windermere Health and Rehabilitation Center released the following statement:

At this time we can confirm that seventy (70) residents at Windermere Health and Rehabilitation Center have tested positive for COVID-19. Sixty-seven (67) of those residents are isolated in the Center and three (3) residents are being treated at the hospital.

We are doing everything we can to protect our residents and staff. This includes providing appropriate PPE, taking heightened precautions and adhering to protocols outlined by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). We are also working closely with our local health department to prevent exposure and to protect all our residents and staff at the Center. Before every shift, we assess the health of our staff and screen all staff members for respiratory illness, which includes a temperature check. We are also restricting visitation at this time based on guidance from the CDC and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

We know that this is an unsettling and scary time for our residents and their family members. We understand and greatly appreciate family members’ concern for their loved ones and are doing everything in our power to keep our residents safe and protected. We are in the process of contacting the family members of every single resident in our Center to keep them informed of their loved one’s condition as it evolves. We will continue to update family members in the coming days as new information becomes available or as circumstances change. We are working closely with the health authorities to follow their guidance and have been 100% transparent with all information released to the authorities, family members and the wider public, while maintaining the dignity and privacy of each of our residents.

We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updated information and education to the Center, staff, patients, residents and families, as updates become available. We appreciate the continued support of the long-term care community, and the agencies and associations that support us in our efforts.