MARS HILL, Maine — Nearly two weeks after an employee at the Aroostook Health Center continuing care nursing home tested positive for COVID-19, Northern Light A.R. Gould Hospital has announced that the second set of tests of 200 employees and residents have come back negative.
That positive test was the first confirmed COVID-19 case in the Presque Isle area. The employee interacted with several staff members and residents July 8-11 — during which they showed no signs of the virus. The employee, whose name has not been released, tested positive for the virus on July 12, shortly after showing symptoms during a COVID-19 screening at the facility.
Nursing homes and other group homes have been some of the hardest hit facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, disaster seems to be averted in Mars Hill. Now that fears of spread are gone, the nursing home has gone back to its standard procedures, including accepting new patients and discharging residents who want to leave.
Hospital leadership attributed the lack of cases to their staff following mask and hygiene rules that health experts have long advocated to fight the spread of the virus in medical settings.
“This is truly a testament to the importance of hand hygiene, masking and the appropriate use of other personal protective equipment as needed,” said Jay Reynolds, a senior physician executive at Northern Light A.R. Gould. “It also shows that the many safety protocols we have in place are successful for protecting our residents, patients, and staff.”
