NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — Eight staff members of Grand Villa of New Port Richey have tested positive for COVID-19, according to John Moschner, president of SenCare Management.
Moschner has been providing COVID-19 video updates on behalf of the Grand Villa properties over the last month.
Last week, Grand Villa of New Port Richey began testing certain individuals who it believed had the "highest risk of exposure." Meaning it's new residents, residents returning from other health care facilities and new and current staff, according to Moschner.
Through that testing is how he says the assisted living facility discovered eight out of the 31 staff members tested were positive for COVID-19.
According to Moschner, all were asymptomatic.
In the video, Moschner says, those who tested positive were sent home to self- isolate and seek medical treatment while the facility works to determine who they may have had contact with.
But, the facility is hopeful about the results.
"We believe the risk of cross-contamination is fairly low," Moschner said. Sharing that all staff has been wearing masks, gloves and following proper social distancing guidance.
The Pasco County Department of Health has been contacted for guidance on expanding testing for staff members and residents, according to Moschner. He said they hope to have an update soon.
"As Governor DeSantis and our state surgeon general have said publicly, catching any positives early through the proactive testing is our best course of minimizing an outbreak," Moschner said.
On April 24, Moschner provided an earlier update regarding the facilities COVID-19 cases saying they were working to get the Grand Villa of New Port Richey and Grand Villa of Ormond Beach removed from the Florida Department of Health's reported cases list.
Why?
He says it's because the New Port Richey facility, previously, did not have any cases and the DOH was counting a positive case in a visiting nurse against the facility.
As for Ormond Beach, Moschner confirmed one employee tested positive for coronavirus in late March but has since recovered with double negative tests and received clearance from a doctor to come back to work.
Moschner thanked those who have families in these facilities as they work through these cases.
"Thank you for your support and for trusting us to care for your loved one during this unprecedented situation."
Both facilities have since been removed and are not currently reflected on the DOH's long-term facility positive cases page.
To date, the facility reports that it has never had a resident test positive for COVID-19.
You can watch both updates in full below.
May 1:
April 24:
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