Alamance County Health Department has identified a COVID-19 cluster at Love’s Childcare in Haw River. Currently, five (5) cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed at the facility. The confirmed cases are among two (2) staff and three (3) children. One of the staff members is not an Alamance County resident so they are not included in the daily COVID-19 case count, however they are included on the biweekly Child Care and School Settings report for NC DHHS. NC DHHS defines a cluster as minimum of five laboratory-confirmed cases with illness onsets or initial positive results within a 14-day period and plausible epidemiologic linkage between cases.
“At Love’s Childcare of Haw River, our highest priority is to ensure the health, safety and security of our staff and every child entrusted to our care,” stated Angie King, Administrator at Love’s Childcare. “Upon learning of two teachers and 3 children testing positive with COVID-19, the first one being October 26, we immediately notified our staff and enrolled families in that classroom of the positive case and removed the staff and the children on that day (the positive teacher was not at school that day). We personally contacted the parents of the children in the affected classroom. Additionally, we contacted Alamance County Health Department and made the decision along with the health department to close the classroom down for 14 days. We have now reopened the classroom on November 9. We also did a deep cleaning of the classroom and it remained closed until it was reopened on November 9. The children and staff are now able to return to this classroom. We had another positive case on October 31 in a different classroom with a staff testing positive and she was quarantined. We immediately notified our staff and enrolled families in that classroom of the positive case. This was Oct 31 on a Saturday and we immediately notified our parents on Saturday Oct. 31 and the Alamance County Health Department. We have continued to remain in close contact with the Alamance County Health Department.
Ms. King further stated, “As of today, November 9, we have had NO new cases. We will continue our rigorous health and safety measures that include, but are not limited to: cleaning and sanitizing the school daily; frequent handwashing; parent drop off outside of the building; and temperature check and question survey daily. At this time we only have one classroom shut down due to the positive case on October 31. The last classroom that is closed due to a positive test will reopen on Monday November 16. The remainder of the center is up and running. Our thoughts and prayers for a rapid recovery for the last 2 affected with COVID-19. Our prayers are with Loves Childcare and all the children and families and our staff and families that we can remain healthy and safe.”
“We are working together with Love’s Daycare to conduct case investigations and contact tracing to protect staff, children, and their families in order to mitigate the outbreak as quickly as possible,” stated Interim Health Director Alexandria Rimmer.
Alamance County Health Department identified its first confirmed case of COVID-19 on March 20. Since then, a total of 6086 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the community. Of those confirmed cases, 5562 have been released from isolation and 401 remain active and in isolation. Included in those active cases, 31 individuals are receiving care at a hospital. Sadly, there have been 106 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.
The community is reminded to limit their social and group interactions and practice the 3Ws – Wear, Wait and Wash. These important steps can reduce a person’s risk and the risk to their family, friends and neighbors.