Alamance County Health Department was notified of an outbreak at the Home Place of Burlington assisted living community. Currently, two (2) cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed at the facility. The confirmed cases are among one (1) staff and one (1) resident. The staff person is an Alamance County resident. NC DHHS defines an outbreak as two laboratory-confirmed cases in a period of 28 days within a congregate living or long-term care facility.
“The health and safety of our community members remains our top priority, and our experienced professionals are working tirelessly to minimize opportunities for exposure to the virus,” said Bonnie Thompson, Executive Director of Home Place of Burlington. “These are the first cases of COVID-19 in our community and, while we continue to monitor the recovery of our resident who remains asymptomatic and under quarantine, we are pleased to report that our staff member has completed their quarantine and returned to work. We are committed to our ongoing practice of community-wide weekly testing, and will continue to follow all guidelines prescribed by the CDC, state and local health authorities.”
“Home Place of Burlington notified the Alamance County Health Department promptly about the positive COVID-19 cases,” stated Interim Health Director Alexandria Rimmer, “and we have been working with them through our long-term care facility task force in order to provide updated recommendations and guidance throughout the pandemic. We will continue to work together to mitigate this outbreak and work to keep staff and residents safe.”
Alamance County Health Department identified its first confirmed case of COVID-19 on March 20. Since then, a total of 3614 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the community. Of those confirmed cases, 3372 have been released from isolation and 190 remain active and in isolation. Included in those active cases, 18 individuals are receiving care at a hospital. Sadly, there have been 52 COVID-19 related deaths. COVID-related deaths include only patients who tested positive for the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, and who died without fully recovering from the disease.
We are continuing to see COVID-19 in Alamance County through community-spread transmission. It is important to continue practicing the 3Ws to keep our friends, family, and neighbors safe. If you leave your home remember to: wear a cloth mask over your nose and mouth, wait six feet apart and avoid close contact, and wash your hands or use hand sanitizer if handwashing is not readily accessible. We are all in this together, thank you for you diligence to keep our community safe.