August 3, 2020
Dear Canterbury Residents, Employees, Family Members, Trustees, and Community Partners,
We have been informed by an intern in our Security department that they have received a positive Covid-19 diagnosis. This intern was tested at our community on July 15th and received a negative result and tested positive in a later testing. The intern has indicated they do not have any symptoms. Due to the timing of the end of their internship, they will not be returning to our community. We are following our quarantine protocols and individuals that have been in close contact with the intern have been notified to quarantine per our protocols.
We are excited to report that all but one employee who has previously tested positive for Covid-19 is now negative.
Friday evening, Governor Kemp issued an executive order extending the current Shelter in Place through August 15th and prohibiting visitors for various populations, including those living in nursing homes and personal care homes, which includes our nursing pavilion and third floor residents. The executive order also strongly encourages residents and visitors to Georgia to wear face coverings but does not mandate it as twenty-one other states have done. Older adults living in long term care communities and those with compromised immune systems have been sheltering in place for five months, during which time they have been isolated from families and loved ones. The science has shown that the virus could be controlled by wearing masks. With a mask mandate in place, older adults could safely leave their homes and be a part of the greater community. The lack of a mask mandate is exacting a price on Georgia’s older adults.
LeadingAge of Georgia is advocating for Governor Kemp to recognize the impact isolation is having on our elders and their families and urging him to mandate wearing masks. If you would like to help in this effort, a template of a letter is included with this communication that you can edit as appropriate coming from either a resident or family member and send to Governor Kemp’s office. The email link for constituent services appears to have currently been disabled on the website so we have included the mailing address for his office.
We will continue to keep you fully informed of any new cases we identify in the community.
If you have any questions or concerns, you can reach me at 470.381.6790 or debimcneil@nullcanterburyccrc.org or Julie Parker, Chief Operating Officer, at 404.201.7067 or julieparker@nullcanterburyccrc.org.
Warmly,
Debi McNeil
President & CEO