COVID-19 Ongoing Outbreaks in Congregate Living Settings
Updated May 15, 2020

According to the latest “Ongoing Outbreaks in Congregate Living Settings” report, NCDHHS reports the following:

Harmony Hall: 2 positive cases among staff, 0 cases in residents and 0 deaths.
NC State Veterans Home: 2 positive cases among staff, 2 residents and 1 resident death.
Caswell Developmental Center: 16 cases among staff, 10 residents and 0 deaths.
Spring Arbor of Kinston: 4 cases among staff, 12 residents and 1 resident death.

From NCDHHS:

In order to standardize reporting regarding COVID-19 outbreaks in congregate living settings, the NC Department of Health and Human Services will update this report two times per week that will include the names of facilities where there is an ongoing outbreak and the number of positive COVID-19 cases at the facility related to that outbreak. As this pandemic continues to evolve, we continually reassess the appropriateness of data reporting to balance transparency, public health and individual privacy.

In a congregate living setting, a COVID-19 outbreak is defined as two or more laboratory-confirmed cases. An outbreak is considered over if there is not evidence of continued transmission within the facility. This is measured as 28 days after the latest date of onset in a symptomatic person or the latest date of specimen collection in an asymptomatic person, whichever is later. If another case is detected in a facility after an outbreak is declared over, the outbreak is not reopened. It is counted as a case in congregate living settings, and if a second case is detected within 28 days in the same facility, it is considered a second, new outbreak in that facility. Outbreaks that are considered over can be found on the last page of this report, under the previous outbreaks section.

These data reflect information that has been entered into the North Carolina Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NC EDSS). COVID-19 case and outbreak investigations are conducted by local health departments. Time is required to determine whether a given COVID-19 case is associated with a congregate living setting, gather follow-up information, and enter it into NC EDSS. Thus, data included in this report may differ from data available through media and other sources. Data are preliminary, and these numbers and facilities are subject to change as more information is obtained during outbreak investigations. Facilities with less than 10 residents are not included to protect patient confidentiality.