UPDATE: Monday, August 17, 2020
We are pleased to announce that COVID-19 was undetected in all of the children and staff tested by the the state’s mobile response team August 13, 2020.
Original Statement: The following is text from a public notice released on August 11, 2020
Cedarcrest Center Announces First Staff Member to Test Positive For Covid-19
Cathy Gray, President/CEO of Cedarcrest Center for Children with Disabilities in Keene has announced that the organization has received confirmation from the Department of Health and Human Services of its first member of its staff to test positive for COVID-19. The staff member has not worked at the facility since August 2nd and was tested recently. There have been no other positive tests related to the staff or children at the Center, which currently serves 20 inpatient residents ages infant to 21 years. Communication has gone out to the children’s parents and guardians as well as staff. Public health is assisting with testing in follow up to this one case.
The specialized medical facility and school located in Keene has been operating under their formal outbreak policy since March 15th. This series of protocols includes building access restrictions for visitors including immediate family and vendors; wellness screenings for each staff member at the start of each shift and half way through each shift; personal hygiene guidelines for staff which includes hand washing, hand sanitizing and the elimination of wearing jewelry such as rings, watches and bracelets; use of personal protective equipment, social distancing among many other safety precautions. As another precaution, the center’s adaptive playground has been closed to the public since March.
Cedarcrest Center is the only provider of post-acute medical care for children in New Hampshire. The facility is approved by Medicaid in Vermont and Maine and serves children from both of those states as well. All children at Cedarcrest require 24-hour nursing support and have a diagnoses ranging from: seizure and other neurological disorders, cerebral palsy, hypoxic and traumatic brain injuries, muscular dystrophies, orthopedic complications, and compromised digestive and respiratory systems. More than half of the children require ventilator and/or respiratory therapy support making them especially susceptible to acquiring the COVID-19 virus.
“We are doing all that we can to reduce the risk of exposure to the children and the staff and remain vigilant to uphold all of our protocols and procedures.” said Gray, in a statement issued on Tuesday. “We are fortunate to have outstanding staff members and we are grateful to the community for their outpouring of support. We are using all of the masks, and other materials donated by community members and through the State of NH Emergency Operations Unit to protect the children and one another.”
“We, like so many others, urge everyone who can to stay at home or wear a mask in public to help protect those who are at greater risk for more adverse impacts of the virus. Our children are among the most vulnerable and they need everyone to help reduce opportunities for transmission.” states Gray.
