Trinity Village, a skilled nursing care community operated by Lutheran Services Carolinas in Hickory, has confirmed that 22 residents and 27 staff members are currently positive for COVID-19.
“Until recently, Trinity Village was fortunate to have largely escaped the big outbreaks that many other congregate care facilities had experienced,” said Trinity Village Administrator Marcheta Campbell. “But as we have all learned, the virus will find a way, despite efforts to keep it out of our community.”
“We continue to apply infection control protocols diligently,” Campbell added. “Our teammates have been working hard for many months under very stressful conditions and done wonderfully well under the circumstances. We are grateful that our residents’ families have been extremely supportive.”
“When COVID is rampant in the community, it will almost invariably find its way into that community’s congregate care facilities,” said Lutheran Services Carolinas president Ted Goins. “Catawba County is seeing critical community spread, putting it in the COVID red zone, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, and our care communities are going to bear the brunt of that.”
Another LSC nursing home in Hickory, Trinity Ridge, which faced a serious outbreak several months ago, has confirmed that while no residents have tested positive in the latest round of testing, three staff members currently have COVID.
“We are hopeful that we will soon be able to start administering the vaccine to our front-line teammates and residents in Catawba County,” Goins continued. “The FDA needs to follow the lead of England and Canada and approve the vaccine immediately so it can be administered to long-term health care residents and staff immediately, not tomorrow or next week.”
“I certainly hope no committee or approver is taking a day or a weekend off until this vaccine is approved and distribution can begin,” Goins said. “But in the meantime, everyone needs to follow the 3 Ws: Wear a mask, Wash hands, and Wait six feet apart.”