ENID, Oklahoma. – As the number of COVID-19 cases rises in Garfield State and County, some Enid care facilities have changed indoor visitation plans to limit any potential spread of the coronavirus.

Golden Oaks, Greenbrier and The Commons have reported recent positives for COVID-19 among a staff member or resident as testing at facilities has increased, in accordance with federal guidelines, due to the potential for spread of the Delta COVID variation -19 as reported weekly by the CDC.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health reported earlier this week that Garfield County has 131 active cases of COVID-19, including 100 reported in the past 14 days. There have been no new deaths in the county in the past 90 days.

“Our policy is that whenever we confirm that there is a positive element in the community or the staff, we close the (visiting) stations inside,” said LaDena Burrell, Nursing and Nursing Administrator. assisted living at The Commons. She said there was only one positive test in the health center, but there were no positive results in assisted living. Visiting policies may be different in various sections due to test results in those areas.

Retirement homes follow the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and OSDH regulations for testing frequency and infection control for COVID-19, have officials said.

“Based on our required tests, we recently had two positive cases in an area of ​​the facility,” according to a statement from Homes of Greenbrier. A spokesperson declined to say in which area of ​​the facility – which offers nursing, skilled living and residential – the cases were positive.

The statement says that all Greenbrier staff and residents of other facilities have tested and found negative, allowing the facility to resume normal visits to the facility with the exception of one area.

“When this happens, interior visits are suspended until the first round of testing finds no additional cases, but exterior and compassionate care visits are still permitted by regulation,” according to the Greenbrier press release.

“We’re all aware of that right now,” said Mark Gray, executive director of Golden Oaks, where a few employees recently tested positive. No Golden Oaks resident has tested positive in recent weeks, he said.

When COVID-19 caused nursing home visits to shut down the summer and last fall, one of the biggest concerns was psychological, Gray said.

So while some facilities restrict some visits indoors, most allow compassionate and outward care visits.

Gray said, for example, that if a husband has been with his wife for decades, they’re going to take those things into consideration and allow that compassionate care decision.

Currently, Golden Oaks allows pre-scheduled visits to its reception hall and offers “pretty porches” for outside visits.

In the Marsh Pointe homes in Enid – which consist of Kenwood Manor, The Living Center, and Enid Senior Care – there were no positive results, but interior visits are by appointment, and facilities have ongoing health examinations for visitors, said Jennifer Barker. , Marketing Manager.

There was no administrator to discuss the situation at Garland Road Nursing Home, an employee reported on Friday afternoon.