November 18, 2020

Dear Residents, Families and Friends,

As you know from our previous letters, the DC Health Nurse Strike team continues to come every Monday afternoon for the weekly testing of staff and Sisters for COVID-19. Recent testings have been consistently negative, however our testing this past Monday revealed that one Sister’s result is positive. She is currently in quarantine and will remain so for 14 days.

Sister cares for the Residents on one of our nursing units. She is asymptomatic and the Residents are being closely monitored for any signs of contact transmission but at present, they are all doing well.

All the measures that are taken to monitor the possibility of exposure are being maintained including: frequent check of the Residents’ temperatures, oxygen levels, and any symptoms of the coronavirus. Staff temperatures are also checked at the beginning, middle and end of their shift. They also are screened as they arrive at our facility for work. The test results of all staff and the other Sisters are negative.

The consultant assigned to our Home from the DC Health Epidemiology Team is providing guidance and following our monitoring procedures. The Residents’ unit does not need to go into full lockdown at this time as long as all preventive measures are maintained, especially faithful adherence to wearing a face mask, face shields for all staff, social distancing, frequent washing of hands and use of hand sanitizer, and daily disinfection of all rooms and surfaces.

In the hope of being able to initiate indoor visits, we have submitted the requested plan to DC Health for review and two members of the Epidemiology Team who have visited our facility last week viewed the area designated for these visits. We hope to have more news at the time of their upcoming visit within the week.

Outdoor and window visits with your loved one will continue, as well as the other means of communication that have been in place (e.g. telephone, Zoom, FaceTime, or a direct call to the nurse on the unit.) If there are any questions, feel free to contact Daisy Alzate, RN or Sr. Alphonse Marie.

We appreciate your understanding and support over the course of these past months. We assure you of our prayers during these difficult times and wish all of you many blessings for a Happy Thanksgiving.

God bless you,
Sr. Mary Michael and all the Little Sisters

Click here for our Visitation Policy

Previous Updates:
November 2, 2020
October 8, 2020
September 15, 2020
August 17, 2020
July 19, 2020
June 24, 2020
June 8, 2020
May 28, 2020
May 21, 2020
May 12, 2020
May 5, 2020
April 28, 2020
April 22, 2020
April 14, 2020

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