Dear Residents, Families, and Associates of First Colonial Inn,
I am happy to share that we continue to remain COVID-free as the results of our 6th round of COVID-19 Pooled Testing came back negative! In this round, conducted this past Thursday, we collected saliva samples from three groups, a total of 226 people. One resident group was comprised of residents who have left the community within the last 2 weeks while the other was comprised of residents who have chosen to stay within the community. The third group was comprised of our associates, along with the employees of Silver Strands Salon, Genesis Rehab and essential visitors who provide healthcare related services to residents. We are currently having discussions with essential visitors to educate them on this testing as our goal is to have all essential visitors participating in this testing with us if they are not already testing routinely elsewhere.
As of today, Governor Northam has reinstated restrictions related to COVID-19. This is a sobering reminder that we all must remain vigilant in our efforts to stay as safe as possible. We thank everyone for their continued participation in this testing program as this, along with proper social distancing, mask use, hand hygiene, and ongoing health monitoring, can provide an excellent line of defense in the fight against Covid-19. As we continue to receive negative results this allows us to keep the shelter in place restrictions lifted for any resident who leaves the community, whether on their own or in our transportation, as long as they participate in the Pooled Testing twice weekly (Monday and Thursday) for two weeks following any outing. Residents who choose to stay within the community are asked to participate in the Pooled Testing once per week (Thursday). The testing is held in the Chesapeake Dining Room from 10am-1pm.
At this time, we are still limiting visits to the community (indoors and outdoors) to approved Essential Visitors only and/or via the usage of the Indoor or Outdoor Visit Stations. If you would like to make an appointment for a Visit Station please call the front desk at 757-428-2884 or email the team at fci.reception@kiscosl.com.
We require all visitors to properly wear a mask at all times while on the property, both outside and inside, and we ask that the front entry way/drop off table area remain free and clear from congregation so that there is safe ease of access in and out of the community.
As a reminder, we will be offering Thanksgiving Dinner to our residents in the Water’s Edge Dining Room. We recently surveyed all residents as to their interest and we approximately 75 residents have chosen this option. We then anticipate reopening the Water’s Edge Dining Room the following week. We will be offering modified seatings to ensure safe distancing while allowing residents to enjoy meals while enjoying each other’s company. Further information will be shared with residents this week regarding the Thanksgiving Dinner seating times, along with further details regarding the future reopening plan.
This past week the community was able to come together on Veteran’s Day for a heartfelt ceremony that has become a yearly tradition at FCI. We had the opportunity to thank all our residents who served our country or supported their spouses as they served our country. The ceremony highlighted those residents who have moved in since last year’s ceremony. They were each presented with a special pin and certificate. Below is the link to the video of the ceremony for you to view.
We thank all of you for your continued support of FCI as we navigate through this pandemic together. Our continued positive thoughts and prayers for everyone’s good health are with each of you. Please let me know if you have any concerns or questions. We appreciate your questions, feedback, and support.
Sincerely,
Chrissy Driscoll
Executive Director