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A resident of the Burlington Health & Rehabilitation Center is one of five new confirmed cases in Vermont of COVID-19, according to a spokesperson from the skilled nursing facility.
The Department of Health reported that the total number of cases in Vermont had risen from 12 to 17 Tuesday. Five of those individuals are not state residents.
Health & Rehab spokesperson Lori Mayer would not say whether the individual who tested positive at the facility had been hospitalized, but she acknowledged in an email the person was no longer at Burlington Health & Rehab.
All told, individuals in at least five counties have tested positive for the virus. As of Tuesday, 495 Vermonters have tested negative. The state is monitoring 241.
The state has put measures in place to limit person-to-person contact. K-12 schools across the state will be shuttered tomorrow, along with child care centers not serving “essential” workers. Scott prohibited gatherings of more than 50 people, and the Department of Health has urged people to stay home when sick, and work from home when possible.
“We expect, and are prepared for, more cases in Vermont, and are taking every action to limit the spread of illness,” warned a release from the health department.
Burlington Health & Rehab provides long-term and respite care to older adults, as well as short-term rehab for those leaving the hospital. Elderly living facilities and nursing homes have been of high concern to public health officials, given the particular threat the coronavirus poses to older people. Gov. Phil Scott ordered last week that elder care homes limit visitors.
The facility has notified residents of the case, Mayer said. Staff have also instituted policies to stop the spread of the disease, including restricting visitors, quarantining employees who were in contact with the patient, canceling communal dining, and asking staff to wear masks and gowns.
“We are doing everything possible to minimize any additional cases at our center,” Mayer said. “At this time, our primary concern is the safety and well-being of our patients, residents and staff.”
