Three Long-Term Care Facility Residents in Cambridge Test Positive for COVID-19

Since Friday, October 2, three residents of a Cambridge long-term care facility have tested positive for COVID-19. All staff and residents have since been tested, and the Cambridge Public Health Department (CPHD) will announce any positive results once they are posted in MAVEN, the state’s reportable disease database. 

All three cases were recently discharged from area hospitals. In accordance with guidance from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the three individuals were placed in isolation units with full droplet precautions upon their arrival to the long-term care facility.

All patients discharged from hospitals to long-term care facilities undergo a 14-day quarantine, per state health department guidance, and it is possible for patients to develop COVID-19 during this time if they were exposed during their time away from the facility. This standard procedure is effective at preventing transmission within skilled nursing and assisted living facilities. 

Cambridge Public Health Department staff have been in daily communication with state health officials and facility staff.  The facility is adhering to all safety protocols. The Cambridge Public Health Department continues to monitor the situation closely.

Prior to October, the last confirmed COVID-19 case among a Cambridge long-term care resident was reported on June 6.