Stormont sees record COVID-19 hospitalization

Stormont Vail Health saw a record number of coronavirus-related hospitalizations on Monday — the same day it reported 18 of its own team members had tested positive for the coronavirus.

In a news release Monday, Stormont Vail announced it was closing its Building Blocks Child Care Center because 18 of the 44 staff members working there had tested positive for the coronavirus. Shortly after that announcement, the health system released its daily “COVID-19 Scorecard,” which showed 54 patients infected with the virus were being treated at Stormont Vail Hospital.

Matt Lara, Stormont’s public relations specialist, confirmed that 54 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 is the highest the hospital has seen since the beginning of the pandemic. He also noted the percentage of patients testing positive for the virus is indicative of high community

spread.

Late last week, the Shawnee County Health Department labeled community spread of the coronavirus as “uncontrolled.”

As for Building Blocks, the child care center will remain closed until at least Nov. 23. The facility is being cleaned, and all staff members must test negative before being allowed back on site, according to Stormont’s news release.

Lara said Stormont doesn’t know how the outbreak started or how it spread among employees.

On Thursday, a staff member at the child care center reported they had tested positive for the coronavirus, Lara said. That is when Stormont made the decision to temporarily close the facility, he added. And on Friday, Stormont decided to test all team members there for the virus.

Several of the staff members who tested positive for the virus are teachers who float between different rooms, Lara said. According to the release, the majority of staff who tested positive weren’t showing symptoms.

According to Lara, Stormont is contacting the parents of all children who were being cared for at the center. Building Blocks is a Stormont-owned facility that primarily provides child care to Stormont employees — though enrollment is open to the entire community.

“Stormont’s working through options right now to try to avoid any hospital or medical staff having to take time off due to this,” Lara said. “The goal right now is for them to not have to take time off, but we don’t have any details on what that will look like.”

Families won’t be charged for child care while Building Blocks is closed. The facility is expected to remain closed until mandatory teacher-to-child ratios are able to be met.

According to Lara, employees at the child care center are required to wear masks throughout the day, and he said all staff and children have their temperatures checked daily.

Lara urged community members to wear face masks, distance themselves from others by at least 6 feet, wash their hands and avoid social gatherings of all sizes.

India Yarborough, The Topeka Capital-Journal