A nursing home in Skowhegan announced Tuesday that one of its patients who had been showing symptoms of coronavirus has tested positive.
A spokesperson at Cedar Ridge Center confirmed Tuesday that a patient has tested positive for COVID-19. Details about the patient were not provided other than the person was tested within the last 24 hours and had been showing symptoms prior to the test.
“At this time, Cedar Ridge Center has one confirmed case of COVID-19,” said Dr. Richard Feifer, chief medical officer. “We are working around the clock to keep our patients and residents healthy and as safe as possible.”
All persons in the building, staff and patients, will be tested on Wednesday for COVID-19. It is not yet known if anyone who has come in contact with the patient has been quarantined. There are approximately 90 patients currently at the facility.
Feifer said in an email Tuesday that the facility has taken several steps to prevent the spread of the virus, including screening residents and patients three times a day for symptoms, actively screening and taking temperatures of all staff upon entering the building, requiring all staff to wear personal protective equipment, restricting visitations with exceptions, canceling all outside medical appointments that are not immediately medically necessary and implementing video calls between patients and their families.
All patients and their families have been notified that a person has tested positive at the center, and they are being updated regularly.
“We are doing everything in our power — and everything medical experts know at this time — to protect our patients, residents and employees,” Feifer said.
“In fact, we believe it’s better to overreact than underreact in the face of a pandemic.”
Feifer said that the facility is following protocols and guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Skowhegan’s Cedar Ridge Center is a 74-bed nursing facility at 23 Cedar Ridge Drive that offers post-hospital, short-term rehabilitation for individuals recovering from an illness or injury and appropriate services for those requiring long-term and respite care.
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