COVID-19 Transmission – Notification Letter

Dear Residents, Families, and Friends:

As you are aware, the safety of our residents and staff is our top priority. We want to let you know that we have identified two confirmed cases of COVID-19 among residents at The Gardens – and that we are doing contact tracing. Both positive residents have been quarantined and, per Public Health, we will be testing ALL Residents and ALL Staff on Monday, November 30th at no cost. In the meantime we will be checking temperatures and taking oxygen saturations.

To our residents, if you are diagnosed with COVID-19, we will notify you directly and contact loved ones or a representative with whom you have given us permission to communicate. To reduce the spread and impact of COVID-19, we continue to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

We are staying in close communication with local and state health officials to ensure we are taking the appropriate steps under the current circumstances, including:

• • • Regrettably, NO VISITS will be permitted until further notice. (Except for limited visits to our Hospice residents.)
    • Enhanced infection control precautions, such as wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) when we care for residents, increasing the availability of hand sanitizer, and more frequent cleaning and disinfecting of high-touch surfaces.
    • Residents are encouraged to stay in their rooms to prevent the spread of the virus causing COVID-19.
    • On-going screening of residents and staff for COVID-19 symptoms, as well as anyone else who enters our facility.
    • Only staff and Medical Professionals will be permitted entry to the Gardens.
    • On-going testing of staff and residents for the virus causing COVID-19 based on current protocols and availability of tests.
    • Providing and requiring facemasks for all staff to wear. (Providing face coverings for residents, if tolerated and following CDC guidance: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/long-term-care.html.)
    • We will be postponing group activities and helping residents to practice social distancing.
      We encourage you to review the CDC website for information about COVID-19, including its symptoms, how it spreads, and actions you can take to protect your health:

  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.htmlAs you would expect, we take this very seriously and will continue to provide you with regular updates about the situation and will promptly notify you if we identify any additional residents or staff with confirmed COVID-19. We encourage you to contact us with questions and concerns. Please call me at (818) 787-0462.

Sincerely,

by Executive Director, Dion Gallarza