AVON, Connecticut — The Connecticut Department of Health (CT DPH) is monitoring two COVID-19 outbreaks in Avon.
According to officials, the two outbreaks are at a nursing home and an assisted living facility.
As of Wednesday morning, Avon Health Center (nursing home) reported that 22 residents have tested positive for COVID-19 and three have been hospitalized. There has reportedly been one resident death.
The CT DPH also said 14 staff members have tested positive.
Residents were again tested on Monday, and those results are pending. Staff members were tested Tuesday and will continue to be tested Wednesday, CT DPH said.
Officials from the company issued a statement:
Avon Health Center takes very seriously our obligations to our residents. As is the case in a number of locations in the state, we are currently experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak. We have reviewed our outbreak response with the Connecticut Department of Public Health epidemiology division and are following their recommendations. We have been following CDC and DPH Infection Control guidance at all times including contact tracing to identify the source of the virus. Additionally we have followed the Governor’s orders regarding resident and staff testing. Upon noting a rise in community spread, we increased our testing of residents and staff. Given the presence of COVID in the facility, we have discontinued in person visitation and are cohorting affected residents on one unit to contain further spread of the virus.
Avon Health Center had started their contact tracing and case investigation, according to DPH, and said the outbreak seemed to be contained to one particular unit of the building.
The CT DPH is also tracking an outbreak at the Residence at Brookside (assisted living facility).
There have been 11 reported positive cases among residents and two deaths. CT DPH said the facility was unable to confirm if one of the deaths was related to COVID-19.
The facility also reported three staff members have been infected. DPH said the facility is actively testing staff and residents.
The CT DPH said they will know more information once they receive results from this week's testing, and complete contact tracing.
In September, CT DPH had to shut down a nursing home in Norwich after an investigation revealed a lack of safety measures that lead to a COVID-19 outbreak.
As of September 16, there had been 21 residents and six staff members who tested positive for COVID-19. Four residents had died due to the virus. However, Senator Catherine Osten (District 19-D) said she believed there were five residents who died due to the illness.
The CT DPH was also notified by Harrington Court nursing home in Colchester about a positive case. By September 19, five more patients and three staff members tested positive for the virus.
Surveyors from the CT DPH found in their inspection on September 18, "several infection control deficiencies.
There had been 46 residents and 11 staff members of the facility who had since tested positive for the virus in early October.
There have been six follow-up surveys and more infection control issues with the nursing home were found. The Health Department is conducting rapid tests of all residents and staff using one of its mobile testing units.
Harrington Court, which is owned by Genesis Health Care, houses more than 80 residents.
Some of the residents who tested positive have been moved to another Genesis facility, the Quinnipiac Valley Center in Wallingford.