Facility Reports No Confirmed Cases From Recent State Department of Health Testing
Much confusion seems to surround the state's recent entry into Phase Three of Gov. Kevin Stitt's Open Up And Recover Safely (OURS) plan. During Phase Three, the prohibition on visits to medical facilities has been lifted, but while many have assumed that includes the prohibition on long-term care facilities, visits to those facilities is still banned by executive order.
Cordell Christian Home administrator Gail Wilcox told The Beacon that they are receiving calls every day from residents' families and friends asking if they can now come to visit their loved ones in the home. Wilcox said the staff at Cordell Christian Home welcomes calls and questions from their residents' loved ones, but wanted to make sure people understand that the home is following the requirements of Gov. Stitt's executive order and acting in the best interest of the residents when prohibiting visitors.
"We realize that this is difficult; it's difficult for the residents, it's difficult for the families, and it's difficult for the staff," she said. "But we are chargedwith protecting our residents and with the current increase of cases in our area, we just can't open back up to the public."
Wilcox stressed the importance of protecting the health and safety of the residents, as COVID-19 disease has much greater health impacts on the elderly and immunocompromised. Those measures, she said, have kept the disease from infecting anyone in the facility, as confirmed by recent testing completed by the Oklahoma Department of Health.
Wilcox said the home plans to make a huge public announcement through letters to all families and through the home's social media channels when the governor's restrictions are lifted and they can begin easing back into business as usual conditions. In the meantime, she said, the Cordell Christian Home staff will continue to do everything they can to keep the residents active and engaged while protecting their health and safety.
She expressed her appreciation to the Cordell community for its support during the pandemic. Community members had provided masks, greeting cards, drawings, and even drive-by parades to show their love for the home's residents.