A deadly outbreak of Covid-19 struck Rackleff Place Assisted Living Community in Canby last month, infecting at least 26 residents and staff and contributing to six deaths, but had reportedly cleared as of Saturday.
According to a Facebook post from Rackleff Place, three residents and two employees tested positive for the virus the week of Sept. 8, which prompted facilitywide testing and visiting restrictions — though the majority of those infected were asymptomatic at that time.
The long-term care home reported more staff and resident positives the following week, saying the facility was following quarantine protocols and continuing to test and monitor for symptoms.
A family member of a Rackleff resident wrote a mournful poem last month to honor the lives lost, which the 25-bed facility posted on Thursday of this week. Dubbed “Letting Go,” it evokes imagery of the changing seasons and free birds soaring heavenward.
“I know for sure we will have a lot of angels looking after all of us at Rackleff Place,” the post said.
On Friday, staff said the facility would be “Covid-free” as of midnight that night — after all residents and staff tested negative for the virus a second time in accordance with state standards.
“This experience has humbled all of us and has brought us all closer together,” the Oct. 1 post read. “When you lose anyone that a group adored, it hurts us all differently. I would like to send love and prayers to all the families of Rackleff as y’all are so amazing and supportive.”
The post added that most staff had returned from quarantine and “we are all ready to serve.”
Rackleff is far from the only workplace in Canby to suffer an outbreak in recent weeks, amid a delta-fueled resurgence of the virus in which Canby has been among the hardest-hit communities in the Portland metro area.
Willamette Valley Egg Farm was the site of an outbreak in mid-August that infected six workers, according to OHA, and 12 sick employees were linked to an outbreak at Columbia Distributing that started late that month.
The workforce at Canby’s Fred Meyer also saw an outbreak in late August and early September that spread to 10 workers, according to OHA data.
And, a dozen students and one staff member at the Canby School District are currently testing positive for the coronavirus, according to the district’s Covid-19 dashboard. Another 35 students and one employee are quarantining due to close contact with a confirmed case.
A total of 65 students and six staff members have tested positive this academic year, with eight employees and 231 students — more than 5% of the district’s enrollment — having to quarantine at some point since school started on Aug. 31.
