The N.C.. Dept. of Health and Human Services announced Friday afternoon that the Siler City Center of Genesis Healthcare, a long-term nursing home, is the site of a state-defined COVID-19 outbreak.
In a report released Friday afternoon, the facility was reported to have two staff and two residents to have tested positive for COVID-19. Genesis joins The Laurels of Chatham, which accounted for 106 total cases among staff and residents, as well as nine resident deaths, from COVID-19.
The four positives are among the 2,077 laboratory-confirmed cases from nursing homes across North Carolina — a total that made up slightly less than 15 percent of the COVID-19 cases statewide as of Friday. The full list of congregate-living facilities with outbreaks can be found here. An outbreak is defined by the state as any location that has two or more laboratory-confirmed cases.
In a statement, Genesis Healthcare Chief Medical Officer Dr. Richard Feifer said all Genesis faciltieis have been "extremely stringent on visitation restrictions, use of personal protective equipment and many other precautions."
"We are working round the clock to keep our patients and residents healthy and as safe as possible," Feifer said. "We are doing everything in our power — and everything medical experts know as of at this time — to protect our patients, residents and employees."
According to the Genesis Healthcare website, the Siler City center, located at 900 W. Dolphin St., houses 150 beds and has been in the community since the 1970s.
The news came the same day as the state government began Phase 1 of "re-opening." In a news release Friday, Chatham County Public Health Director Layton Long said residents should still adhere to previously-advised safety precautions because "the danger is not behind us."
"In fact, we continue to see cases of COVID-19, including Chatham County residents who have become seriously ill,” Long said. “We ask residents to remain vigilant and continue to take the same measures they have been to reduce their risk of infection: Stay at home, avoid gathering with others outside of your household, wear a face covering if you go out in public and wash your hands regularly.”
The county was home to the highest number of COVID-19 cases per capita in North Carolina as of Friday at 57.2 per 10,000 residents, with Wayne County second at 56.8.
Reporter Zachary Horner can be reached at zhorner@chathamnr.com or on Twitter at @ZachHornerCNR..