DeKALB – Three more employees of Pine Acres Rehab and Living Center have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to a Wednesday report from the DeKalb County Health Department.
Since its first case was announced Saturday, 9 total COVID-19 cases are linked to the longterm care facility at 1212 South Second Street in DeKalb.
The count includes four residents, one in their 90s and three in their 70s, who also are confirmed to have the viral respiratory disease, and five total employees.
The growing number of cases in Pine Acres mark the second local longterm care facility in the county to be linked to COVID-19.
The DeKalb County Rehab and Nursing Center announced its first case, in an employee, on May 15, and linked the case to 17 additional people in the facility who may have been exposed. Testing for those and others in the nursing center, however, did not occur for 12 days. When asked why, DeKalb County Administrator Gary Hanson said it was a logistical issue which delayed testing in the facility, which was not undertaken until Tuesday.
In a news release sent by the county health department on behalf of Pine Acres on Sunday, the longterm care facility said the residents tested positive on Saturday.
“We have identified all residents that may have been exposed,” the release stated. “Those residents and their family/guardian/representative/conservator were notified, as well as the resident’s physician. These affected residents have been placed on transmission-based precautions.”
As of Wednesday, the Illinois Department of Public Health, which lists longterm care facility outbreaks in the state, has not yet included Pine Acres or any other DeKalb County facility on its list of outbreaks.
The release says the center is working closely with the county health department to prevent further exposure and transmission.
“Following guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health, additional actions are being taken to monitor and protect the health and safety of residents and the facilities’ healthcare staff. Our focus all along has been to prevent COVID-19 from entering our facility.”
Source: The Daily Chronicle
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