ST. JOHNSBURY - On Sunday April 5, 2020, the State of Vermont Department of Health informed the management team of the St. Johnsbury House Independent Senior Living Community that a community member tested positive for COVID-19.
The St. Johnsbury House is a 39-apartment affordable independent senior-living community managed by Summit Properties on Main Street in St. Johnsbury, Vermont.
"This is the only positive case that the State is aware of and they will reach out immediately if there are additional cases and we will inform the community immediately," says CEO of Summit Properties Tom Getz.
According to Vermont officials, the community member is under self-quarantine and the state has completed its contact tracking process. The State has reached out to all individuals to come in close contact with the community member and advise them to self quarantine for 14 days.
Summit CEO Tom Getz says Summit Properties is doing everything they can to assist the individual during this difficult time.
"Due to privacy rights the State was not able to share the identity of this individual. We did however ask the State to tell the person that if they would like assistance from Summit with their self-quarantine, such as grocery delivery, trash and laundry pick up, etc, then Summit is here to help should the person choose to self-identify."
This also comes as Summit Properties has updated their policies to help protect their communities from COVID-19 saying, "Summit is committed to providing a home-like environment while prioritizing our residents' safety and welfare. Due to the very serious impact of COVID-19, we have altered our operations and visitation policies, modified activities to lessen exposure, added protocol for entering the community for staff/essential visitors, and established alternative communication methods in lieu of face-to-face visits. This policy is being updated on a daily basis and is applicable to Summit's residential apartments and independent senior living communities only."
The Vermont Department of Health says they will continue to work closely with Summit Properties to protect the health and safety of the St. Johnsbury Senior Housing community.
If you have any questions or concerns you are asked to please call the Vermont Department of Health at 802-863-7240 and press 0. You can also visit their website for more information.