AUGUSTA — An outbreak of 21 COVID-19 cases has been reported at an Augusta long-term care facility.
Maine Center for Disease Control officials said they are investigating an outbreak of 21 cases — 18 patients and three staff members — at Capitol City Manor, a long-term care facility on State Street in Augusta.
No deaths associated with the outbreak had been reported, as of midday Tuesday, according to Robert Long, communications director for the state CDC.
The CDC opened an outbreak investigation July 21, which is still ongoing, and Long said Capitol City Manor officials have been cooperative in working with the CDC to address the outbreak.
Long referred questions about what actions the facility is taking to address the outbreak to Capitol City Manor officials.
“In general, when there is an outbreak at a congregate living setting, staff and residents are tested at regular intervals, heightened infectious disease control measures are put in place,” Long said, “and Maine CDC’s epidemiology team confers with the facility’s administration to provide support and to help meet other identified needs.”
Capitol City Manor officials did not return a call seeking comment Wednesday and a representative of the facility declined to comment on Tuesday.
Long said testing is ongoing and there had been no new positive cases at the Augusta facility during the past week.
The facility’s most recent filing with the Maine CDC, up to the end of June, showed that all 16 staff members at Capitol City Manor had been vaccinated against COVID-19.
Outbreaks of COVID-19 in congregate care facilities are defined as three cases or more within a 14 day period, which may include both residents as well as staff, according to the CDC. When a congregate living setting has a single case of confirmed COVID-19 among staff or residents, Maine CDC recommends universal testing for all other staff and residents in the unit or building.
Capitol City Manor is a 29-bed residential care facility on State Street in Augusta, according to its parent company, DLTC Healthcare. That company operates 16 care facilities in Maine, including Bella Point facilities in Camden, Sidney, Bridgton, Freeport and Fryeburg, Halldale Manor in Farmingdale and Crawford Commons in Union.
The number of COVID-19 cases in the state, which had been on the decline this summer, has been rising lately, with 217 new cases reported Wednesday. On Tuesday a spokesperson for Gov. Janet Mills said the administration is seriously considering requiring all health care workers in Maine to be vaccinated.
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