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Three residents at the assisted living facility Spring Arbor of Albemarle have tested positive for Covid-19 and one has died, according to a statement released by Richard Williams, senior vice president at HHHunt, which owns 23 senior living communities across three states, including Spring Arbor.

“It is always hard for us to lose a member of our Spring Arbor family and we continue to do everything possible to ensure the safety, security, and wellbeing of our residents,” Williams said. 

“Everything we do is focused on protecting the health and safety of each resident and teammate,” Williams said.

He added that the team “continues to work closely with the Stanly County Health Department” and that they “will be testing the residents in our Cottage Program for Memory Care.”

The Stanly News & Press previously wrote a story March 23 about a staff member testing positive for the virus.

Many senior living facilities in nearby counties have also been affected. Five Oaks Rehabilitation in Concord has 67 confirmed cases of Covid-19, according to the Cabarrus Health Alliance, while seven people at the N.C. State Veterans Home in Salisbury have tested positive, according to the Salisbury Post.

Spring Arbor continues to take the following measures: 

• Team members are wearing masks and gloves during their work hours. 
• Each resident is quarantined in their apartment and in-room dining is being provided. 
• Directing any staff who may be sick to stay home, conducting health checks on all staff upon arrival each day and a separate point of entry for Cottage Program staff. 
• Monitoring residents with daily temperatures checks and any new symptoms of illness. 
• Communicating with personal physicians of residents. 
• Heightening cleaning and infection control practices including disinfecting and closing off areas as necessary. 
• Limiting activities to one-on-one contact. 
• Enforce social distancing practices, including smaller group activities and increased one-on-one and room visits and activity opportunities. 
• Regularly monitoring communications and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention and our state and local departments of public health. 

Stanly County has 17 confirmed cases and two deaths as of Tuesday morning, according to the Stanly County Health Department. Approximately 400 people have been tested in the county.  The state has 4,816 cases and 86 deaths.