Lutheran Services Carolinas is reporting that four staff members and two residents at Trinity Oaks health and rehab have tested positive for COVID-19. That’s in addition to one staff member at Trinity at Home, which provides home care. 

“Trinity Oaks will continue to diligently follow infection control and isolation protocols,” said Bill Johnson, Trinity Oaks campus executive director. “The safety of our residents and our teammates is our highest priority.”

Like all health care providers, Trinity Oaks has been subject to unannounced state and federal inspections. And in a news release about the new cases, the company said it had received no deficiencies during recent inspections.

“Outbreaks in congregate care facilities are inevitable when infection is pervasive in the community,” said Ted Goins, president of Lutheran Services Carolinas, which operates Trinity Oaks. “Despite the pandemic, Trinity Oaks has fared incredibly well over these past five months. Our Trinity Oaks teammates have really stepped up under extraordinary pressure, and we are proud of them for how they’ve held the line against COVID.”

As of Wednesday morning, there were 290 positive congregate living cases, which includes positives at nursing homes. Many of those can be traced back to a single nursing home, the Citadel, where an outbreak has since been declared over. The largest active outbreak in Rowan County is at Autumn Care on Bringle Ferry Road where there have been 44 positives — 11 employees and 33 residents — and two deaths.

There are currently 314 active COVID-19 cases in all of Rowan County and 2,419 people who have tested positive during the entire pandemic.

Trinity Oaks is continuing to test residents and staff and work closely with the Rowan County Health Department, Lutheran Services Carolinas said in its news release. Lutheran Services also offered advice to the general public for mitigating outbreaks in nursing homes.

“Everyone in Rowan County and beyond can do their part to keep our elders safe,” Goins said, “including prayer and practicing the three Ws: Wear a mask, Wait six feet apart, and Wash your hands.”