Metro Health officials are monitoring COVID-19 outbreaks in four San Antonio nursing facilities.
Advanced Rehab Live Oak, Rio at Mission Trails, Pecan Valley Nursing Home and Legends Oak West are being monitored after coronavirus cases started cropping up in each of the facilities.
Officials report 17 cases at Rio at Mission Trails, including 9 patients and 8 staff members. There have been a total of four cases at Advanced Rehab Live Oak, including 2 patients and 2 staff members. Pecan Valley Nursing Home reports 6 patients and 3 staff members have tested positive. Legengs Oak West reports 6 patients and 2 staff members have tested postive.
"All COVID-19-positive nursing home residents have been transferred to the River City Care Center facility to allow them to recover in isolation from other residents, or if necessary, to a hospital for treatment. There are no known positive residents or staff that are currently at these facilities – they’ve all been moved,” said Dr. Dawn Emerick, Director of San Antonio Metro Health.
On April 2, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued new recommendations to state and local governments and long-term care facilities to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Included was a recommendation that separate facilities be designated to care for infected residents.
On April 10, River City Care Center had volunteered to serve a facility for the isolation and treatment of COVID-19-positive residents of any nursing home in the region.
“We are grateful to River City for helping us be proactive and prepared to manage any COVID-19 outbreaks at nursing home facilities,” said Dr. Emerick. “It has undoubtedly helped reduce the spread of the virus among our most vulnerable residents.”
Yesterday, Governor Greg Abbott directed the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, the Texas Division of Emergency Management and the Texas Department of State Health Services to test all residents and staff of all nursing homes in the state. The San Antonio Metro Health Department had already been testing residents and staff at facilities that had reported any positive cases. Although the results have been publicized previously, with the Governor’s requirement that all nursing home residents and staff be tested statewide, the City of San Antonio will begin including results in its daily data postings.