PruittHealth residents participate in a drive-by parade of visitors in May.
ELKIN — A COVID-19 outbreak at a long term care facility here has sickened at least 27 staff members and residents, and claimed the lives of three residents.
PruittHealth, a skilled nursing and rehabilitation center on Johnson Ridge Road, has seen 12 of its staffers and 15 residents test positive for COVID-19, according to the Surry County Health and Nutrition Center. Three of the residents have died from the virus.
“The three associated deaths in this facility all involved residents in their eighties or nineties with underlying medical conditions,” the center said. As is the health and nutrition center’s custom, officials there released no additional information on the victims to protect the privacy of their families.
“The health and safety of our patients and staff are top priorities at PruittHealth,” reads a statement from theCommunications Department at PruittHealth.
“The Alert Code for this center remains Red, meaning visitors and nonessential personnel are prohibited from entering the location,” continued the statement. “As such, PruittHealth – Elkin has been strictly following enhanced infection control protocols. These include increasing cleaning frequency, postponing communal activities, ceasing visitation, as well as screening staff and patients daily. We actively monitor staffing levels and appropriate supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE). We also have built isolation units to work to contain the virus.
“PruittHealth follows closely the guidance from public health officials, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. We stand by our commitment to transparency during this pandemic and ask any employee, patient, or family member with questions to contact our Emergency Operations Center at 855-742-5983. The Emergency Operations Center is staffed by PruittHealth nurses and healthcare professionals who can help address COVID-19 questions and have scheduled more than 21,000 video chats for patients and their families to date.
“We ask for your prayers during this difficult time, and out of respect for the privacy of patients and staff, we cannot share any more details at this time,” concluded the statement.
“Surry County Health and Nutrition Center will continue to closely monitor the situation and will remain in daily contact with the facility, and our partners at NC Department of Health and Human Services regarding this situation,” the center said.
“Every COVID-19 death represents a person who had family and friends. Our heartfelt condolences go out to those who have lost loved ones due to COVID-19,” said Surry County Health Director Samantha Ange. “With the increased rate of community transmission in Surry County, it is absolutely critical that we each do our part to reduce our chances of acquiring or transmitting COVID-19.”