Villa Clara resident tests positive for COVID-19

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - A resident of a Decatur nursing home has tested positive for COVID-19.

Villa Clara in Decatur has announced its first positive case. They said the person is in hospital care Friday.

No other residents or staff at Villa Clara have tested positive for COVID-19.

Officials at the facility said they take the threat of COVID-19 infections "extremely seriously", adding they're working at all times to protect everyone at Villa Clara.

"All new admissions to Villa Clara are quarantined for 14 days in a completely isolated wing of the facility," a press release said. "That wing is totally separated from other residents. The resident that tested positive for COVID-19 was in our facility for a total of four days. During that time, the resident was kept in quarantine and staff maintained droplet precautions during all interactions per our protocol."

Officials said they have been in regular contact with the Illinois Department of Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and Macon County Helath Department. They began pre-screening all staff and visitors before entry on March 6 and strictly limited access to essential health care workers and caregivers after IDPH orders for limiting access were issued on March 13.

Employees at Villa Clara are screened every four hours, the release said. Residents are given health screenings twice per shift. Communal dining procedures have been changed to meet guidelines.

"Villa Clara is adequately stocked with personal protective equipment and all employees who work at Villa Clara adhere to the highest standards of infection control protocol and use personal protective equipment," the release added. "Villa Clara also employs infectious disease specialists that we regularly communicate with. To help our staff during these stressful times, Villa Clara has increased hourly wages by $2 over the course of the next thirty days."

The facility is following strict isolation procedures for any resident or employee who tests positive, officials said. They added they "rigorously adhere" to policies and procedures from the Illinois Department of Public Health and Centers for Disease Control.

"We sincerely sympathize with anyone who has been affected by this illness," Villa Clara officials said at the end of their statement.

Macon County has 47 confirmed cases of COVID-19. There are six deaths, all of which involved residents at Fair Havens, a different Decatur facility for seniors offering long-term care.