Virginia Department of Veterans Services announces confirmed positive COVID-19 cases
RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) is currently monitoring three positive cases of COVID-19 related to the state veterans nursing home in Richmond, Virginia. The cases at the Sitter & Barfoot Veterans Care Center (SBVCC) involve one resident and two staff members.
The resident has been receiving care at a Richmond-area hospital since April 5, and continues to improve.
Positive COVID-19 test results were confirmed for the two staff members April 13, 2020. One of the employees last worked at SBVCC on April 6, the other on April 8. Both have been at home since those days on self-isolation while awaiting test results. They are under the care of their personal health care providers. All staff, residents and family members have been informed.
SBVCC continues to work closely with the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and the Richmond City Health District to implement measures to protect all residents and staff. Current measures include:
- Closing SBVCC to all visitors (exceptions granted to family in end-of-life situations);
- Limiting resident trips outside the facility to only those that are medically necessary;
- Conducting temperature and questionnaire screening of everyone who enters the building. Those with a temperature above 100.4 or who may have traveled to an area with COVID-19 or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 symptoms are denied entry;
- Asking all residents to remain in their rooms and reducing the number of staff members who enter a resident room. All staff who enter a resident room are wearing masks. If a resident’s condition calls for it, additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as gloves and gowns, is worn per VDH protocol. We continue to serve residents meals in their rooms, rather than in the facility dining room, to reduce risk;
- Directing staff that, if they feel sick, they should stay home, self-quarantine, and seek medical assistance if symptoms persist; and
- Requiring staff to follow VDH-recommended infection-control procedures, including regular handwashing, use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers, and covering coughs.
SBVCC continues to follow the latest Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), VDH, and other guidelines closely.
The Sitter & Barfoot Veterans Care Center (SBVCC) in Richmond is a residential, skilled nursing care facility operated by the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS). It is exclusively for veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States. It has a capacity of 200 residents in all-private rooms. It delivers three types of care: long-term skilled nursing care, Alzheimer’s/memory care, and short-term in-patient rehabilitative care.
As of April 14, 2020, there were 184 residents at the Sitter & Barfoot Veterans Care Center. Over 360 staff members care for them.