October 29: COVID-19 Update

The Culpeper’s management team is pleased to report multiple weeks of negative COVID-19 results. With that, the team has become aware of a resident who lives in the rehab-to-home neighborhood who has tested positive for COVID-19 while at the hospital. The resident has returned to the community and is in isolation. Within baseline testing, one direct care team member also tested positive for COVID-19 and has been asked to quarantine at home until return-to-work criteria are met. Contact tracing was completed and no direct resident or team member high-risk exposures were identified.

Due to the positive cases, all rehab-to-home, Main and Davis neighborhood residents and team members were tested with no additional positive results. No residents or team members are exhibiting signs of COVID-19. All licensing agencies and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) have been notified of the positive cases and subsequent actions taken by The Culpeper.

In response to the recent cases, and to limit the viral spread, all residents in the Terrace level rehab-to-home neighborhood, have been placed on contact isolation and are under close observation. Communal dining and activities have been suspended for the rehab-to-home neighborhood. All team members working on the Terrace level in all neighborhoods have upgraded protective equipment use to N95 masks, and continue to use proper hand washing and hand sanitization techniques.

Visitation in the rehab-to-home neighborhood has been suspended, effective October 28. Compassionate care visits will continue as deemed appropriate by leadership team members. Visitation, dining and activities will continue for Main/Davis neighborhoods, as well as memory support and assisted living.

All terrace level residents and team members will now be tested once a week until two weeks of consecutive negative results are received, per VDH and Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services guidelines. The next planned terrace level team member and resident testing will be held on Thursday, November 4. Any team members who are not yet fully vaccinated, or have
received a medical or religious waiver from LifeSpire of Virginia, will continue to be tested based on the county transmission rate. The management team will provide updates on any further positive results and/or protocol changes.

The Culpeper’s team urges all residents and team members to remain vigilant regarding mask-wearing, social distancing and proper hand hygiene.