Dear St. William’s Living Center Residents, Friends, and Families:
I am writing today to inform you that a St. William’s Living Center employee tested positive for COVID-19. Contract tracing found that this employee did not have any high-risk exposures with staff or residents. Due to new guidance, visitation will no longer be restricted due to outbreak status in the facility.
We currently have the following active COVID-19 cases:
- St. William’s Living Center: 1 active staff case and 0 active resident cases.
- McCornell Court Assisted Living: No active cases
New Visitation Guidance
On Nov. 12, CMS issued revised guidance on visitation in nursing homes. Under the new guidance, facilities must allow indoor visitation at all times for all residents, without limiting the frequency and length of visits for residents or the number of visitors or requiring advance scheduling of visits. Visitation is permitted even for a facility in outbreak status and a resident who is on transmission-based precautions or in quarantine. Residents are permitted to leave the facility as they choose. Within this framework, however, CMS continues to emphasize the importance of infection prevention and control in various ways.
Appointments for visits are not required and visitors may self-screen
We do not require appointments for visits. Visitors will be required to self-screen prior to entering. Nursing Home visitors may enter door A on Jackson Street and McCornell Court visitors may enter Door E on McCornell Avenue seven days a week between the hours of 8:00am to 8:00pm.
Masks Required During Visits and Visits Must take Place in Resident Rooms
Although the state of MN has lifted the mask mandates, masks are still required to be worn at all times while visiting residents at St. William’s Living Center. Visits must take place in resident rooms. Additional guidance is posted at the screening station near the entrances.
Questions, Concerns, or Complaints
Should you have any questions, concerns, or complaints, please do not hesitate to contact me at 218-338-1001 or Lori Roers, Director of Nursing at 218-338-1009. We realize that this pandemic has been hard on residents and their families and I want to make sure that we are appropriately addressing any concerns that you have.
Sincerely,
Tim Kelly, Administrator
