Coronavirus: Acton Cases Spike As Nursing Homes Test Positive

ACTON, MA — Acton's number of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus jumped to 92 as of Thursday. Extensive testing at the Life Care Center of Acton nursing home resulted in the jump — Life Care Center reported 23 positive cases.

Life Care Center reported 23 of the skilled nursing and rehabilitation center's approximately 120 residents have tested positive for COVID-19. All residents were recently tested. According to the town, Director York has been in regular communication with management at Life Care Center of Acton. The Town said in a statement, it is confident that the facility is doing everything it can to manage this dangerous and often unpredictable pandemic. The Town has also been informed that all employees of the Life Care Center of Acton will be tested starting Friday.

Since early March when visitors were banned from the building, Acton and Life Care officials have been working together to keep the community updated with the status of COVID-19 within the facility, and the Town said it believes the facility is following best practices in the COVID-19 pandemic, including cancelling group activities, screening residents and staff for fever and breathing problems and using distancing and isolating techniques to reduce the spread of the illness. The facility is also currently not taking in any new residents and has notified the local hospitals of this change.

"We believe that the staff at the Life Care Center of Acton have taken all the necessary precautions, followed the guidance as it has been released from the State Department of Public Health and have followed best practice guidelines as they would have with any other communicable disease and have been proactive in protecting their residents," Director York said.

In order to protect residents' medical privacy rights, the town is not releasing additional information about people who test positive for COVID-19.

"The Board of Health is closely monitoring the situation, and stands ready to assist in whatever way needed to this rapidly evolving difficult event," said Bill McInnis Chair of the Acton Board of Health. "We are grateful for the support and professionalism of the Acton Nursing Service and the Acton Health department."