GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — COVID-19 outbreaks have continued to plague long-term care facilities across the state of North Carolina, including in the Triad. Dozens of Triad senior living and residential care facilities are dealing with active outbreaks.
Two Guilford County facilities are currently dealing with a concerning number of cases. One of the facilities made a comeback to the state's list of locations with outbreaks.
The outbreaks remain a huge concern not only for health officials but for the people who live and work there as well as their loved ones.
Meridian Center in High Point is currently dealing with 20 active cases among residents and seven among staff, according to management. Since the start of the pandemic, 154 residents and 36 staff members tested positive for COVID-19 and two residents died.
According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Meridian was added back to the list based on information indicating it continues to have an ongoing outbreak. Meridian held it's first dose COVID-19 vaccination clinic this weekend.
"During this pandemic, we have been stringent with restrictions and a whole host of other precautions. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) began providing protocols and guidelines for the coronavirus, we have diligently followed them and in many cases, have gotten out in front of public health guidelines, adopting even more stringent infection precautions than were recommended at the time," said Dr. Richard Feifer, Chief Medical Officer in a statement sent to WFMY.
"We also continue to follow the direction of the North Carolina Department of Health in an effort to contain and minimize the spread of the virus," Feifer said.
Meridian also listed some of the steps they have taken to stall the spread of the virus.
- Screening residents and patients for symptoms three times daily
- Actively screening and taking temperatures of all staff upon building entry
- Visitation restrictions
- Cancellation of all outside medical appointments except for medically necessary, time-sensitive, and life-saving treatments, such as dialysis and chemotherapy
- Requiring all staff to wear personal protective equipment
- To make things easier for families, we have implemented the ability for families and loved ones to perform video conferencing calls using Zoom technology.
- We have also personally notified patients, residents, and one representative from each family and conduct regular family zoom conference calls.
Morningview at Irving Park in Greensboro is also listed as a facility with an ongoing outbreak.
The facility currently has four residents who are scheduled to complete their quarantine this week, according to management.
The facility has also had a high number of cases with 34 residents and seven staff so far since the start of the pandemic, according to NCDHHS.
Management at Morningview also held a vaccination clinic for the first dose this past weekend with two more scheduled for February and March for the second dose.
The facilities are screening residents, patients, and staff for symptoms and restricting visitors.
Both state and local health officials are working with the facilities to manage the situation.
