Dear Residents, Families, and Associates of Byron Park,
As promised, we will continue to share important information as soon as we can to ensure everyone is informed and prepared. This letter is to provide additional information about our daily operations and an update on COVID19 cases.
As a reminder, a notice was sent out yesterday noting the community has temporarily suspended all communal dining and programming due to our active COVID19 cases. As of today, we have one independent living resident and three associates. All individuals are isolating at home and will return once cleared by local health authorities. Virtual programming and individual in apartment visits have been begun. A copy of the revised schedule is attached to this notice. Our transportation schedule remains uninterrupted and will operate with its normal cadence. Dining services will be complimentary room service on an automatic schedule for lunch, 2pm snack and dinner for all levels of living. For independent living residents interested in breakfast please call the dining room directly to place your order at 925-937-7143. Assisted living residents are automatically included in breakfast service, if you would like to opt out, please call the dining room. Please note the offerings from the kitchen remain intact. The weekly menu and the alternative everyday offerings menu are still available as well as wine service with dinner. Friday happy hour will be a combination of virtual programming and delightful concoctions delivered straight to your front door.
While we have modified our standard communal operations during this interim period, residents are able to utilize the following facilities by single occupant (unless residents cohabitate) and reservation only: gym, salon, pool, spa. Reservations can be made by calling the front desk. Please be mindful of timing as we are sanitizing in between each use. The common areas (indoor and outdoor) are available for your use providing 6 feet social distancing and proper mask usage (covering your mouth and nose) is adhered to. Residents are also able to leave the community as needed (this includes social visits/medical visits/errands) without concern of a quarantine period. However, we are asking any residents with known COVID19 exposure or cold/flu like symptoms to notify the front desk and self-isolate pending testing.
All standard operations will resume once we have successfully complete two weeks of negative test results for all residents and associates.
It has been a pleasure to speak with many of you and acknowledge the recently issued California Department of Public Health (CDPH) mandate that goes into effect tomorrow Friday, January 7, 2022, through February 7, 2022 (unless extended) has caused some concern. This mandate temporarily changes the conditions in which a resident can have a visitor in congregate living settings such as Byron Park and include the need for verification of complete vaccination status, boosters, and required testing regardless of vaccination status. A thorough copy of the mandate was provided in the notice dated January 5th, 2022 or you can call the front desk for more details.
While our situation is a bit layered due to our current COVID19 status, we remain committed to maintaining the irreplaceable connection between residents and their loved ones. The only visitation that is completely restricted is recreational overnight stays. We encourage our families to utilize our resources with PCR testing. Our average turnaround time is 24-48 hours. Due to the surge in cases nationwide, this timeline may be impacted but we have not seen any delays so far. Gratefully, we have access to two labs and can toggle between the two based on response time. Currently, due to nationwide shortages we are unable to provide antigen (rapid) testing for visitors.
We will continue to provide regular updates on community status changes and what we can do to protect our residents, associates, and greater community to prevent the spread of the virus. We want to thank each of you for your continued support, partnership, and commitment to our 4 pillars of safety which are – washing your hands frequently, complete our daily health screening and report when you are not feeling well, wear a mask for the entire duration you are in any common area or with other people and stay six feet physically distant. If you have any questions, comments, feedback or concerns please do not hesitate to reach out.
Warm Regards,
Jennifer Pastora, Executive Director