Kaukauna retirement home reports outbreak of COVID-19

KAUKAUNA, Wis. (WFRV) – A Fox Valley assisted living and rehabilitation facility is experiencing a new widespread outbreak of coronavirus.

According to a Facebook post late Wednesday, St. Paul Elder Services says they “have identified a new widespread outbreak of Covid19 within St. Paul Home.”

On Tuesday, St. Paul Elder Services says they received notice that a resident in one of the memory care neighborhoods tested positive after developing symptoms.

Throughout the day Wednesday, 14 residents in the same neighborhood developed symptoms and have since tested positive. All residents moved to the COVID-19 isolation unit.

Two staff members from the affected neighborhood also tested positive for COVID-19 and are currently at home.

According to St. Paul Elder Services, one of those staff members “appears to be the index case for this outbreak based on our testing and contact tracing determination.” That employee reportedly contract COVID-19 outside of the facility and worked, providing direct resident care, while unkowingly presymptomatic.

On Wednesday, St. Paul Elder Services says there were notified of another associate who tested positive for the virus but works in a different neighborhood. That employee does not provide direct resident care, according to St. Paul Elder Services. Management was also notified of another Kaukauna associate and a Green Bay associated who are positive. Neither of those employees provided direct resident care.

Contact tracing is underway, according to St. Paul Elder Services. Anyone identified to have close contact and high-risk of exposure will be notified individually and provided direction regarding any required quarantine.

In early September, St. Paul Elder Services reported another outbreak of COVID-19.