Three Care Homes In Alpharetta Report Coronavirus Cases, 1 Death

ALPHARETTA, GA — Three Alpharetta personal care homes have reported either sick staff members or a resident who died from the coronavirus, the Georgia Department of Public Health said in a report released Friday.

The report includes COVID-19 activity for all licensed nursing homes, all licensed assisted living communities, and licensed personal care homes of 25 beds or more.

The Crossings at Webb Bridge Road, 3300 Webb Bridge Rd., which has 10 residents, has seen one case of coronavirus and one death by residents.

Atria North Point, 100 Somerby Dr., reported one staff member has become ill with the coronavirus. As of Friday, none of the 228 residents have become ill.

Atria, which operates 210 communities across the country and in Canada, said it updated the screening statements that essential visitors must be able to answer “no” to before entering, including if they have symptoms, have traveled recently or have been exposed to anyone with coronavirus.

"We are limiting residents to their apartments until further notice," Atria said in a March 22 update. "We will also be taking residents’ temperatures twice a day and continue to take the temperatures of essential visitors when they enter the building. Employees will receive symptom screenings three times a day, including a temperature check. We will continue to provide in-room meal services."

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Sunrise of Ivey Ridge, 2950 Old Alabama Rd., also has one employee sick with the coronavirus, and no reported cases of its 66 residents.

There are more than 325 Sunrise Senior Living communities throughout the U.S., in Canada and the United Kingdom. Prior to the coronavirus, Sunrise had in place an evidenced-based Infection Control and Prevention program based upon the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention guidance for long-term care communities, including:

• Securing the entrance to the community and limiting visitors to only those medically necessary, including hospice and one visitor per shift for any actively dying resident. No visitors under the age of 18 are permitted.
• Implementing screening protocols for all residents, team members and essential visitors
• Conducting temperature and comprehensive COVID-19 symptoms checks on residents at least daily

As of Monday at noon, 2,174 cases of COVID-19 and 78 deaths total were reported in Fulton County by the Georgia Department of Health.

Nursing homes and long-term care facilities have been hit especially hard — with 250 deaths out of 689 total as of Friday across Georgia, such facilities account for more than a third of the state's deaths. Older people and those with chronic underlying conditions are especially vulnerable to the coronavirus.

The Department of Public Health released responses to commonly asked questions:

Where can I find COVID-19 information on a facility type not included in this report?

If you are seeking COVID-19 information for a facility type not included in this listing, contact the facility itself or the Department of Public Health. Facilities are required to report outbreaks to the Georgia Department of Public Health, so it is possible that the Department of Public Health may have responsive information.

Surveyors within the Healthcare Facility Regulation Division of the Department of Public Health have been contacting long-term care facilities for several weeks to provide monitoring and oversight support as part of the state’s response to the COVID-19 public health crisis. The information collected by the Healthcare Facility Regulation Division surveyors is being used by the Georgia National Guard and state agencies to assist in planning, strategy and intervention measures. On April 13, the Georgia National Guard launched a new platform to enhance the data collection process for the Healthcare Facility Regulation Division’s survey teams. The Healthcare Facility Regulation Division's Long-Term Care Facility COVID-19 Report is generated from this new database platform and is being released as a public service to aid transparency. The Healthcare Facility Regulation Division report replaces the previous report posted by the governor’s office which contained similar information.

What is the department doing to address the outbreak in long-term care facilities?

The Department of Public Health and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency are leading the state’s response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The Department of Public Health is assisting Department of Public Health and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency in a variety of ways to address the outbreak of COVID-19 in long-term care facilities. For more information on the state’s response efforts, refer to the executive order issued by Governor Kemp on April 8, as well as other information released by the governor’s office.

Is the Healthcare Facility Regulation Division continuing to conduct surveys or inspections of facilities?

The Healthcare Facility Regulation Division has conducted some onsite surveys, but those surveys are coordinated with the Department of Public Health and the National Guard in order to minimize potential exposure of patients and residents to the virus and to conserve the supply of Personal Protective Equipment for health care workers and first responders. The Healthcare Facility Regulation Division created a desk review tool based on a COVID-19 survey process developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and has used the tool to review critical infection control protocols with health care facilities throughout the state. The Healthcare Facility Regulation Division continues to conduct complaint investigations related to infection control issues or immediate jeopardy situations but has suspended routine survey activity in accordance with direction issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.