Lord Fairfax Health District COVID-19 Update

April 26, 2020

Media Contact: Lorrie Andrew-Spear, lorrie.andrew-spear@vdh.virginia.gov

Lord Fairfax Health District COVID-19 Update

(Winchester, Virginia) – The Lord Fairfax Health District continues to assist with and monitor response to a COVID-19 outbreak at Skyview Rehab and Nursing in Page County.

The response to this outbreak has involved multiple partners, including staff and leadership from Skyview and its corporate affiliates, Valley Health System, the Virginia Department of Health/Lord Fairfax Health District (VDH/LFHD), and the government and people of Page County and the town of Luray. These partners are communicating on a daily basis to ensure an effective response to this outbreak.

The staff at Skyview continue to provide compassionate care to all the residents, and they are coordinating closely with Valley Health when a higher level of care is needed. The community at large has rallied to assist with supplies, including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), food and overall encouragement, including a drive-by parade this past weekend. The support of the community for the residents and for caretakers has been heartwarming.

At this time, 59 residents of Skyview have tested positive for COVID-19 disease, though not all have developed symptoms. Several initially sent to hospitals have been able to return to the facility.

“We’re encouraged that as of the time of this writing, there have been no deaths in the facility,” said Lord Fairfax Health Director Dr. Colin Greene, “but we must caution that we are very early in the course of this outbreak, and that it is not uncommon for elderly patients with COVID-19 to have mild symptoms for several days before developing much more severe disease, some of which may lead to death. For this reason, all involved are paying very close attention to events at the facility.”

*Provided by and with permission of Skyview Rehab and Nursing and the Valley Health System. No additional information on residents of the facility is being provided at this time. Family members inquiring about loved ones in the facility should call (540) 743-4571 and ask to speak with Charleen Pettit, who will be able to provide a daily status update. General questions about COVID-19 disease should be directed to the Page County Health Department at (540) 743-6529, the LFHD information line at (540) 771-3992, or the VDH line at (877) ASK-VDH3.

#     #     #