Coronavirus Outbreak In Chelmsford: 5 Dead At Nursing Home

CHELMSFORD, MA — Five residents have died and several more have tested positive after an outbreak of the coronavirus at the Sunny Acres Nursing and Rehabilitation Center late last month.

"Unfortunately, it has proved impossible to keep this rapidly spreading and highly contagious virus out of this center," Sunny Acres administrator Jeff Schwartz said Wednesday in a statement.

Sunny Acres Nursing and Rehabilitation Center's administrator Jeff Schwartz said since the beginning of July the facility has been regularly testing staff and residents and had not had any staff or residents test positive.

During that same time the nursing facility hosted in-service training for staff on infection control practices, proper use of PPE supplies and virus prevention, Schwartz said.

During recent routine testing in late September several residents tested positive for the virus. Boston 25 News, which first reported the story, said it was 47 residents and 17 staff members that were infected.

In the latest state report, Oct.23, the nursing home reported more than 30 residents and staff in the facility had tested positive and five had died.

The center's officials say they have been working closely with the State Department of Public Heath, The Chelmsford Board of Health and has been receiving support from infection control specialists to bring this current virus cluster under control in the center.

"Administration staff have reported daily all cases for residents and staff though the proper state and federal communication channels per guidelines," Schwartz said. "All family members receive routine updates on their family member situation, and Administration staff have provided operational communication to families and staff as the situation unfolds. The good news is that many of our residents have moved past their 14 day isolation period, and on the road to recovery. We are monitoring their progress very closely."

Sunny Acres Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center was one of two facilities in town that had failed a state inspection back in May. It later came into compliance.

The number of people who have tested positive for the virus in Chelmsford since March was at 541 Thursday. The town has been categorized as red, or high risk for the virus for the past three weeks. Some 13.9 people per 100,000 have tested positive in town. The rate of positivity over the past two weeks has ticked up to 2.92 percent, well above the state average of 1.24 percent.