Five residents and three employees at Community Memorial Health Center in Hartley were placed in quarantine during the past week after testing positive for COVID-19.

According to interim CMHC Director Lisa Lowe, the facility reported its first positive test on Jan. 16. That number eventually grew in the week that followed, and quarantine protocols were implemented immediately in an attempt to avoid additional spread.

Lowe said on Tuesday night that some of the residents who had tested positive first were being transitioned back to their rooms. Those who contracted the virus were experiencing mild symptoms or none at all.

"Our staff and residents are following the recommended preventative actions, including monitoring staff and residents for any symptoms, and have implemented the recommended COVID response procedures to isolate COVID positive residents to an isolation unit," Lowe said. "These individuals have dedicated staff who only work in the isolation unit, and not in other areas of the building."

Outbreaks at longterm care facilities are only declared when three or more residents test positive for COVID-19. This is the first time CMHC has dealt with an outbreak since the pandemic began in March of 2020.

Lowe reported that "all but a few" of CMHC's residents have received a full dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, with most having received their booster shots. The elderly are considered to be at high risk for complications and death related to COVID-19.

The COVID-19 positivity rate for O'Brien County was more than 50 percent when CMHC recorded its first positive case earlier this month. That number had dipped to 33 percent by Tuesday night, which is still considered extremely high. Statewide, 76 longterm care facilities were reporting outbreaks.

Testing at the facility remains a top priority, Lowe explained. CMHC follows protocol mandated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

"Prior to having any cases of COVID in our building, we were conducting regular, routine testing of staff based on the CMS guidelines, which dictate testing frequency based on COVID activity in the community," Lowe said. "Employees continue to be tested twice per week based on the guidelines because our county positive rate is over 10 percent."

With COVID-19 confirmed in the building, residents will also be tested every 3-7 days until no new cases of the virus have been identified among staff or residents for at least 14 days.