MOORHEAD — An outbreak of COVID-19 at Eventide care center in Moorhead has made dozens ill and has led to three deaths.
The first case was identified on March 8, and Eventide management tallied 70 residents and 22 employees infected with COVID-19. By early next week, however, 30 residents will have recovered.
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The majority of residents are experiencing mild symptoms, according to Carrie Carney, vice president of marketing and communications.
Eventide management has also made the public aware of the situation on Facebook and on their website.
“While we are far from the crisis and panic that were so prevalent at that time, COVID-19 has not gone away. Since the vaccine became available, we continue to experience sporadic outbreaks at our locations. Including now, at our Eventide on Eighth care center in Moorhead, which is experiencing a significant outbreak at this time,” Eventide management reported on Facebook and on its website .
The source of the outbreak was traced to an asymptomatic visitor and an asymptomatic staff member, Carney said in an email.
“We are following the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our facility and performing additional testing,” Carney said.
In Cass County, the North Dakota Health and Human Services reported 84 new cases for the week of March 16.
The transmission rate across Clay County, however, was listed as high, according to Eventide's evaluation of information from the CDC.
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Becky Schmidt, a data epidemiologist coordinator at Clay County Public Health, said that she is not seeing an uptick in COVID-19 cases or in hospitalizations.
"As far as I know we're still at low, and there have been no other outbreaks that I am aware of," Schmidt said.
In a case like Eventide's, a Clay County Public Health case manager will work closely with the care center to guide them, Schmidt said.
"COVID is here to stay and we're trying to navigate how to live with it. We have tools to use now, and the vaccines aren't perfect, but they do have an impact. We're in a different place than we were two years ago," Schmidt said.
The latest weekly statistic for positive cases across North Dakota was 441 new cases for the week of March 16, which equaled a 7-day-case rate of 58 per 100,000 people, according to the North Dakota Health and Human Services.
Up until the end of February, a total of 22 people have died from COVID-19 in North Dakota in 2023, according to the North Dakota Health and Human Services. In 2022, 306 people died from COVID-19 .
Visitation will not be restricted like the care center did in 2020, but management is encouraging people to delay visits if possible, Carney said.
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If visitors choose to visit COVID-19 positive residents, protective gear is provided to mitigate the spread of the virus, Carney said. Residents who test positive for COVID-19 are asked to remain in their rooms to limit the spread to other residents.
Staff are not required to wear masks in Eventide senior living communities in North Dakota, but they are continued to be required in all care centers and apartments in Minnesota, management reported.
Fargo Cass Public Health is still encouraging the community to stay up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccine recommendations and also taking basic precautions of staying home when sick. Additionally, covering coughs or sneezes and maintaining good hygiene habits is important, said Holly Scott, spokesperson for Fargo Cass Public Health.
Self tests for COVID-19 are another prevention measure, offering rapid results regardless of vaccination status or whether a person has symptoms, Scott said.
Fargo Cass Public Health provides home test kits at the main building during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, 7:45 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
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