The death count has grown to three in a novel coronavirus outbreak at the post-acute rehab center of Marquis Hope Village in Canby. With 69 confirmed cases of Covid-19, including 36 staff members and 33 residents, it remains the state’s largest active outbreak at an Oregon long-term care facility.
“The coronavirus outbreak at Marquis Hope Village Post-Acute Rehab is heartbreaking to everyone at Marquis,” said April Diaz, vice president of clinical services for Marquis Companies, which owns the facility. “We cannot begin to communicate the sense of anguish we are all feeling.”
Virtually all of the 38 residents at the rehab center have tested positive, and those who are negative continue to be retested to ensure the virus has not spread. Fortunately, the outbreak appears to have not spread to the adjacent Marquis Hope Village Assisted Living Facility, which has 74 residents.
The conditions of those suffering from the virus run the full gamut, Diaz said, including some who have tested positive but show no symptoms at all. Others have only mild or moderate symptoms, while others are critical.
As a post-acute rehab center, all of the facility’s residents have some form of underlying condition or health challenges.
“When our residents come to us for care, they are in a medically fragile state,” Diaz said. “Many have chronic conditions that put them at high risk for their health to rapidly change. Sadly, when they are infected with the coronavirus, because of the nature of the infection, they often don’t have the strength to fight it. Our focus continues to be on the care and comfort of our residents as we support them through their COVID infection.”
With more than a third of the rehab center’s approximately 100 employees testing positive, staffing has also become a concern. Diaz said they are working with other Marquis facilities to reassign employees and may utilize staffing agencies for additional resources, if needed.
In an inspiring display of courage and dedication, some Covid-positive — but asymptomatic — staff members are even continuing to work, caring for residents who also have confirmed cases of the virus.
“We have amazing staff,” Diaz said. “Many have stepped up in this time of crisis.”
Licensing staff from the Oregon Department of Human Services is making on-site visits to the facility at least once a week to monitor infection control practices, personal protective equipment supplies and staffing levels, according to Elisa Williams, a spokeswoman for DHS.
“DHS, [Oregon Health Authority] and the local public health authority will continue to have frequent contacts with the facility,” she said, “to ensure residents’ care needs are being met and residents and staff, who are not infected — including those in the adjacent assisted living facility — aren’t at risk.”
