Coronavirus In Colorado: Resident, Employee At North Shore Health & Rehab Test Positive For COVID-19

LOVELAND, Colo. (CBS4) — Just days after an employee tested positive for COVID-19, so too has a resident at North Shore Health and Rehab. A spokesperson for Columbine Health, management for the property, told CBS4's Dillon Thomas other residents are now being isolated to their rooms.

Six residents have been tested for the virus. Five tested negative. All of the tested residents, who were showing potential symptoms of COVID-19, were living in the same hallway.

Yvonne Myers, Health Systems Director, said Columbine Health has purchased iPads for all isolated residents in the facility. Staff was actively working to educate residents on how to work the technology to watch movies, gain spiritual advisement and even FaceTime family.

"This is a community health issue, and we felt we should be transparent about of it is happening in our company," Myers said. "We shut down the building. We put it in lockdown."

Columbine Health voluntarily offered their location information to the public after the unidentified employee tested positive.

Since then, staffing has been assigned to remain only in their designated hallways to prevent potential spread of the virus to other wings of the facility.

"All staff that are entering or leaving the room have to wear personal protective equipment. Which includes masks, goggles and gowns. And, they only use those equipment while taking care of that patient," said Joel Bitler, Director of Clinical Services.

Being isolated to their rooms, residents are brought all of their meals. Friends and family are not permitted to enter the facility even if their loved one is not in the hallway linked to the illness.

"It is pretty hard when the facility is not serving in the dining room, and you were eating all your meals in the room," Meyer said. "There are not large group activities, music and entertainment. All your activities are independent in your rooms."

North Shore will continue to remain under watch for at least two weeks, possibly longer, as they follow CDC guidelines.

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Other Columbine Health facilities have also locked their properties down to assure the virus does not make its way in.

"I think we are just as worried about their mental health and psychosocial health as we are there physical health in this space," Myers said.

The company is investigating how the coronavirus was obtained by the one positive patient at north shore.

"There wasn't any direct patient contact between the two. But, we have been mapping out the facility and monitoring the path of symptoms for the residence," said Rebecca Jackson, Systems Medical Director. "(All tested residents) are all on the same hallway, and it is hard. We interact with our residents even if we are not documenting it in our electronic health records. So, there is that possibility that could've occurred."

While some may, rightfully, be concerned for the well-being of their loved ones, Myers said family and friends should be confident in the company's response.

"We are actually doing a lot better than a lot of the citizens in the community, because we are isolating ourselves," Myers said.