Two residents at the Queen Louise Home for the Aged have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Department of Human Services and staff at the home.
As a result, DHS Senior Citizens Affairs staff and physicians at the facility immediately placed the two affected clients into non-congregate sheltering, away from the remaining 10 residents, where they can receive treatment from the nursing staff with the most effective available therapeutics, according to a press release from Human Services.
Both patients have displayed mild symptoms and are receiving medical care and supervision treatment by the QLH medical team and nursing staff, in addition to support from the Department of Health and Pafford Medical Services, the release stated. Additionally, on Sunday, staff and residents at the facility were tested for the virus, and no new infections were found, it said. In addition, another round of campus-wide testing and individual medical assessments will commence on Wednesday.
QLH staff has also notified the family members of the two residents who tested positive. DHS leadership and DOH will continue to meet regularly to discuss the daily strategy of addressing effective methods of combatting the spread of coronavirus at the facility, the release stated. Until further notice, the Queen Louis Home for the Aged will not accept visitors.
DHS Commissioner Kimberley Causey-Gomez praised the Division of Senior Citizen Affairs leadership and Queen Louise Home for the Aged team for the continuous efforts to mitigate the COVID virus within the home and to ensure the health and safety of the residents, as well as all staff who work within the facility.
“We have learned a lot over the last several years regarding the virus and are blessed that our residents are vaccinated and boosted to help prevent the transmission,” said Causey-Gomez. “We will continue to work together internally as well as with our partner agencies to keep our residents safe,” she concluded.
Meanwhile, on Friday on St. Croix, the Herbert Grigg Home for the Aged obtained an “all clear status” at the facility after a small outbreak that affected eight residents in late August, DHS said. These clients have all recovered and have been moved out of isolation. They are now back on the main campus and free to participate in normal residential activities.
As per CDC and DOH guidelines, Herbert Grigg Home then launched a 14-day baseline test, which required that no new resident cases be found within that window. This past Friday marked the culmination of the baseline test in which HGH was found to have fulfilled the benchmarks required to achieve an all-clear at the facility, Human Services said.
