26 Residents and 10 Staff COVID positive at Newton Care Center: Press Release

April 21, 2020
To Family Members and Friends:
We are doing everything possible we can to ensure we stop the spread of COVID-19 within our facility. We currently have 26 Residents and 10 staff members who have tested positive for the virus. Despite our aggressive efforts, our first case occurred as a result of contact between a Resident and an asymptomatic person, outside of our facility, in March.
We screened the Resident, who showed no symptoms for several days, and we followed all then-existing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and local and state departments of health. Unfortunately, the Coronavirus is very contagious, particularly among those vulnerable due to other health conditions. Since COVID-19 entered our facility, testing and other resources have become more readily available. The CDC and state and local departments of health have also updated their guidance. Our infection control protocol has evolved, and we expect it to continue to evolve.
Below are updates that are important for you to know as we move forward:
• COVID-19 Positive Facility – Due to the number of confirmed positive cases, in accordance with guidance
delivered today by the local and state departments of health, the entire facility will operate as a COVID-19
positive facility. We will no longer operate a separate COVID unit in the facility. Every Resident will be on
contact droplet precautions regardless of their COVID status.
• Contact Droplet Precautions – Moving all Residents, regardless of COVID status, to contact droplet precautions
assists with protecting Residents and staff. Contact droplet precautions means all staff caring for Residents will
be in full protective gear including masks, eye protection, gowns and gloves.

• COVID-19 Positive Phone Number – We have a new number for families to call for updates on their loved ones
who are positive for the virus. You may reach a nurse at (618) 852-9051. Please be patient if trying to reach us
during shift changes or mealtimes as our staff are working tirelessly to be all hands-on deck for our Residents.

• Admission Freeze – We will no longer be accepting new admissions at this time. Our sole focus will be on caring
for our Residents in house. We will continue to care for our Residents in the facility unless their condition
requires a transfer to the hospital. If your loved one would require a hospital stay, we will accept them back to
the facility.

• Safekeeping App – If you are not already signed up, we invite you to sign up for our Safekeeping App where you
can engage in your loved one’s care from any device for free. We will begin posting our weekly family letters to
the app. For install instructions visit install.safekeepingapp.com. Please reach out to Jo Donaldson at (618) 783-
2309 for more information.

• THANK YOU – We cannot express how grateful we are to have the support, kindness, compassion and love of
our family and community behind us. Our mission, Residents First and Employees Always, will remain our guide
through this Pandemic.

We will remain in touch with weekly updates. Please continue to connect with your loved one(s) through telephone
calls, emails, texts, ecards, video chat or social media. Contact the facility anytime with any questions as it relates to COVID-19.
At Your Service,
Paula Schoonover, Administrator