Dear Residents, Families, and Associates of Abbotswood at Irving Park;
I would like to update you on that status of COVID-19 cases and other related information. As a reminder we recently identified an outbreak within our Parkside portion of The Elms memory care neighborhood. As of today, we have 16 active cases: 2 residents have fully recovered and cleared, 9 residents are in stable condition and quarantined within the Elms or offsite and 7 associates are at home until cleared to return to work.
I regret to inform you that two residents who had tested positive passed away this morning. Though these residents were battling other health issues, COVID-19 may have contributed to their passing. Our hearts go out to these residents and their families as they grieve the loss of their loved one. We are unable to share additional information. It is our hope to honor these residents and their family with the privacy they need during this difficult time.
Containment Effort
As part of our containment effort, we are testing all associates and residents who live and work in The Elms tomorrow July 28th. We will continue weekly testing until we are clear of COVID-19 in this section of our campus. Additionally, we will begin our surveillance testing campus-wide this Friday July 31st. Surveillance testing will include associates, essential providers, and residents selected at random every 14 days. We intend to conduct this type of testing for the foreseeable future to help us identify and respond to any new cases to help keep our community safe.
We know that upholding the four pillars of safety (masks, screening, social distancing, and handwashing/sanitation) coupled with frequent testing significantly reduces the risk of spread of COVID-19. With increased testing, we may see an increase in positive results, however, this information will greatly aid our fight against COVID-19 which remains prevalent around us. As such, we continue to be vigilant with requiring the use of face masks for all associates at all times, residents when out of their apartments and highly restricting visitation for non-essential purposes.
We understand the sacrifices our residents, families and associates make every day to protect themselves and each other and appreciate everyone’s effort for the common good. Our top priority is to contain spread, monitor those who have tested positive for a full recovery, and to keep our entire campus safe through diligence with safety protocols.
Sincerely,
Allison Pait
Executive Director