TEXAS HHSC CONFIRMS COVID-19 CASE IN RESIDENT AT BRENHAM STATE SUPPORTED LIVING CENTER
The Brenham State Supported Living Center (BSSLC) has confirmed at least one positive case of COVID-19 in a resident.
Information received from Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) Press Officer Christine Mann this (Friday) afternoon stated the HHSC has received consent from an individual or guardian to acknowledge at least one positive case at the BSSLC. The HHSC said it is working closely with the Department of State Health Services and taking precautions to mitigate any spread of disease.
An unnamed source identifying as an employee of the BSSLC told KWHI there are believed to be three other positive cases of COVID-19, all in staff members. The source said the employees are undergoing self-quarantine.
According to Mann, all State Supported Living Centers (SSLC) are using dedicated homes for individuals recovering from COVID-19 and ensuring they receive the care necessary in a manner safe for them, other residents, and staff. The HHSC is educating and training staff on infection control procedures, and on any campus in which a resident tests positive for COVID-19, all staff wear face masks.
Staff working in homes with COVID-19 positive residents are dedicated to those homes only, using appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and following all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines to protect their safety and prevent spread. This includes masks, face shield masks, N95 masks, gloves, and gowns.
On March 5th, the HHSC began travel screening all staff on whether they had visited a country identified by the CDC as high risk, or whether they had contact with someone who had. Employees are still screened for fever and respiratory illness prior to entrance into any facility. Visitation restrictions to State Supported Living Centers were implemented on March 13th. Temperature checks on staff and essential visitors before entry into campus began on March 16th. Any person with a fever or unexplained signs of respiratory illness are not allowed entrance.
Mann said this remains a rapidly evolving situation, and it will continue adapting policies and procedures as necessary. She said the HHSC maintains its commitment to provide the best care possible and safest possible working environment to residents, their families, and staff at all times under any circumstances.
Media reports from around the state say Texas’ 13 SSLCs have been criticized for not being prepared to handle the COVID-19 pandemic, and for not releasing information on positive tests. More than 100 residents and staff members combined have tested positive at the Denton State Supported Living Center, with cases also confirmed at the SSLCs in Richmond and Mexia.
KWHI reached out to Washington County’s Joint Information Center (JIC) asking for information on cases at the BSSLC, but was told it will not disclose the addresses of any COVID-19 or standard medical patients due to HIPAA laws.