KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Independence announced a COVID-19 cluster at one of its long-term care facilities Thursday.
The city announced in a statement that there have been 34 confirmed coronavirus cases at The Groves, 1515 W. White Oak St.
Independence officials said they do not know of any deaths associated with the outbreak at The Groves, which has approximately 400 staff members and 300 residents.
According to The Groves, it is believed an asymptomatic staff member brought the virus into the facility.
“Early this week, we discovered a positive case of COVID-19 had been connected to our facility,” The Groves CEO Dee Shaffer said. “This individual was sent home after a routine health screening and those they had come in contact with were also sent home following the report of symptoms. After investigation, we were able to determine that the likely source of the outbreak could be traced to one asymptomatic staff member, and our safeguards did not appear to fail. No symptoms had been reported for the previous two weeks or more leading up to the day the individual reported symptoms.”
The city said it will supply The Groves with additional personal protective equipment to manage the cluster. It’s also working with county and state health officials to ensure additional testing needs at the facility are met.
The Groves said all of the cases “have been contained within one area of the facility” and staff, residents and family have been notified about the outbreak.
Shaffer defended the work of her staff in keeping The Groves free of COVID-19 for more than four months and said the facility will “continue to do the right thing for our residents, families, staff, and community.”
Independence Mayor Eileen Weir stressed that social distancing, personal hygiene, limiting travel and wearing face masks remain important for reducing the community spread of COVID-19.
“We are seeing an increase in cases across the country as restrictions lift and must remain diligent to ensure our healthcare workers, first responders and vulnerable friends, family members and neighbors have the chance they need to successfully navigate through this challenging time,” Weir said. “Facilities like The Groves have gone above and beyond in taking all necessary precautions to protect their staff and those they serve. This is a sobering reminder why diligence is so important as we continue to combat COVID-19.”
