Campus Updates at Western Reserve Masonic Community
Please read the following campus updates at Western Reserve Masonic Community. As you are aware, from previous communications we are now testing all staff and vendors twice weekly. This is due to Medina County having a positivity rate of over 10%. Yesterday we tested 161 staff and vendors for COVID-19, and all but one result came back negative.
Fortunately, the one staff member that tested positive is asymptomatic and in good health. They are a brand new employee and yesterday was their first day of work. They tested upon arrival to the campus, and we were able to pull them off the floor before they performed patient care. Because there was no opportunity for exposure with this positive case, we have now gone 14 days without having any residents in Skilled Nursing or Assisted Living that were potentially exposed to COVID-19.
This means that this morning at 9:00am, our Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing quarantine will end. Assisted Living & Skilled Nursing community members are able to leave their apartments and travel throughout the common areas. Independent Living Residents are still prohibited from entering the Skilled Nursing and Assisted Living.
We are also stopping routine COVID-19 testing for Assisted Living. Skilled Nursing residents will continue to be tested weekly.
This still does not allow for in-person visitation for family members and friends; as this is controlled by the Ohio Public Health Advisory System. Last week the positivity rate in Medina County increased from 12% to 15.8%. In contrast, the positivity rate of WRMC over the last two weeks is 0.13%.
At this time, we also need to inform you that we were informed yesterday that we have an Independent Living community member that has been presumed positive for COVID-19. A person is presumed positive when they have been exposed to someone who has tested positive and then develop symptoms themselves. This person was exposed off campus, while attending a Thanksgiving family gathering. They have been self-isolating in their apartment. Through contact tracing there are no exposures of residents or staff due to the presumed positive community member.
Due to our extremely low positivity rate among Western Reserve staff we will not be changing any current programming for Independent Living Residents.
As before, all Community Members are permitted to leave the campus at any time. We suggest being extremely cautious at this time when making the choice to leave WRMC for anything other than what is necessary. However, as a reminder the Purple designation and the recommendation of Medina Counties Health Commissioner is that persons only leave their homes for work or essential needs.
Should you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me directly.
Sincerely,
Jason French – President
Ready to learn more about senior living communities? At The Ohio Masonic Communities, we want to help you navigate senior options and live the retirement of your dreams. We have resources available to help you plan for the future and achieve your goals. The Ohio Masonic Communities offers three senior living communities across the state of Ohio – Browning Masonic Community in Waterville, Ohio, Springfield Masonic Community in Springfield, Ohio, and Western Reserve Masonic Community in Medina, Ohio. If you are interested in learning more about one of our communities, give us a call at 1 (877) 881-1623 or contact us here.