Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

State recommends restricted visitation at health facilities

POLK COUNTY—The Coronavirus has limited visitation at long-term health care facilities, cancelled sports and some church services in the area. 

The Polk County Health and Human Services Agency sent a release late Thursday saying the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services recommending restricting visitors in general to long-term care facilities. White Oak Manor, Autumn Care and St. Luke’s Hospital announced earlier this week they are restricting visitors to help stop the spread of the virus. 

While there are no confirmed cases in Polk County or Landrum yet, there has been some testing done in Polk County. As of Friday morning there were no results known for a potential case that is widely known by residents in Polk County through social media. 

Schools had also not announced as of Friday whether or not they will close in the area. 

As of late Thursday, there are 17 cases in the state of North Carolina. 

In South Carolina, there are 12 cases, 6 of which are presumptive positives and 6 are confirmed positives, according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. 

Local festivals and events have been cancelled in upcoming weeks, including Super Saturday and events at the Tryon International Equestrian Center. Restaurants are still open at TIEC but upcoming events have been cancelled. TIEC has not yet made a decision on the annual Steeplechase. 

“Over the course of the past several days Polk County Health and Human Services

Agency has been meeting with various community partners including our long-term care facilities,” said Polk County HHSA director Joshua Kennedy. “Our goal is to provide information and awareness on prevention strategies to help the long-term care facilities make informed and prudent decisions in supporting and caring for their residents.”

In a memo sent to the county’s long-term care facilities, Joshua Kennedy highlighted North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Department recommendation that a higher level of preventive strategy is now recommended for those who are considered high risk: 65 or older, those with underlying health conditions, or those who have weakened immune systems. In addition, NC DHHS guidance recommends those who live in a congregate setting that serve high risk individuals restrict visitors, especially visitors who have respiratory illness or potential exposure to COVID-19. These establishments include: nursing homes, independent and assisted living facilities, correctional facilities, and facilities that care for medically vulnerable children.

The Polk County Health and Human Services Agency further stressed the importance of maintaining good hand hygiene awareness by staff and residents by clearly identifying hand-washing locations, making hand sanitizer readily available, and by displaying public messaging which are available on the CDC website in an effort to prevent potential illness.

“While the risk for contracting COVID-19 continues to remain low for our community it is important to remain vigilant and well informed as we care for our most vulnerable at-risk populations,” Kennedy said.

People can call the North Carolina Division of Public Health call line at (866) 462-

3821 to address general questions about coronavirus. More information can be found on the CDC and NC DHHS websites.