Maplecrest Rehabilitation and Living Center at 174 Main St. in Madison. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel Buy this Photo

MADISON — State officials have closed their investigation into a coronavirus outbreak at the Maplecrest Rehabilitation and Living Center in Madison that infected 40 people and resulted in seven deaths.

On Saturday, the Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention ended its investigation because the facility at 174 Main St. went 28 days without recording any new cases of COVID-19 infection.

Separately, officials with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services said the nursing home, which previously violated federal requirements to prevent the spread of COVID-19, had submitted a second revised plan of correction that has been deemed acceptable.

The initial plan of correction, submitted by the nursing home at the end of September, failed approval requirements, although sources at DHHS said they could not provide details at the time.

On Monday, DHHS spokeswoman Jackie Farwell provided the second corrective plan, which was approved after the nursing home submitted it Oct. 9.

“The facility has put into place a dedicated Infection Control Preventionist, an Independent Nurse Consultant and a Temporary Manager who are responsible for compliance with appropriate infection control measures, including symptom screening for staff,” Farwell wrote in an email Monday afternoon.

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She added the Maine DHHS Division of Licensing and Certification “remains in frequent communication with the facility and will conduct regular monitoring to ensure implementation of the plan of correction.”

Following an investigation into the outbreak, the nursing home failed to have a system in place for the monitoring of symptoms report during the screening process, according to DHHS.

In documents provided by DHHS, a certified nursing assistant answered “yes” to having a cough, new muscle aches, repeated shaking with chills and sore throat — four symptoms listed on the COVID-19 screening — and then worked a 10-hour shift.

A day after these symptoms were documented, the employee called and informed the facility she had been exposed to a person who had tested positive for COVID-19. On Aug. 18, the same employee tested positive for COVID-19.

Robert Long, spokesperson for Maine CDC, confirmed Monday the outbreak investigation associated with Maplecrest began Aug. 21 and was closed Oct. 24. All told, there were 40 cases and seven deaths associated with the facility’s outbreak.

The outbreak at Maplecrest has been linked to a wedding Aug. 7 in the Millinocket area, where crowd restrictions were ignored and masks were not required.

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None of those who died at Maplecrest was at the Aug. 7 wedding. Instead, an adult who attended the wedding reportedly came into contact with someone who then came into contact with a staff member at the nursing home.

The nursing home announced in mid-August — through a Facebook post — it had stopped permitting visitors at the rehabilitation and living center.

At the time of the post, a spokesperson for the nursing home said the center was working with local and health officials to stop the spread of the virus at the facility. Prior to this, a spokesperson said the only in-facility visits allowed during the pandemic had been for patients receiving hospice care.

A patient spoke last month of the outbreak’s emotional impact and requested transparency from the nursing home, saying she had not hugged her family or seen her dog since March.

Under the corrective plan, officials at the nursing home said the screening tool used for employees now reflects all new coronavirus-related symptoms, as opposed to COVID-19-related symptoms, and requires staff members who display symptoms be sent home.

The director of nursing services will also be notified of anyone who has not met screening requirements.

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