Kent County Health Department Announces COVID-19 Cases at Autumn Lake Healthcare in Chestertown

Today, the Kent County Health Department announced that twelve residents and three staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 at Autumn Lake Healthcare in Chestertown. Of the twelve residents who have tested positive, one has died, and a second is hospitalized. The State of Maryland website currently has incorrectly identified the death in this situation with Queen Anne’s County. A ‘Go Team’ composed of the Maryland National Guard and Department of Health and Human Services Disaster Medical Assistance personnel has been activated to support the facility. The team responded to the facility on Sunday, April 19, 2020, and was onsite from 10:00 AM -12:30 PM.

“We are appreciative of Governor Hogan’s decision to make these ‘Go Teams’ available to assist Maryland nursing homes,” said Kent County Health Officer William Webb. “Autumn Lake Healthcare is following recommendations from the ‘Go Team’ and the infection control guidelines of the Maryland Department of Health. Our organizations are in daily communication and we will continue to provide support to the residents, their families and facility staff during this time.”

Autumn Lake Healthcare had previously implemented prevention measures according to state and federal guidance, including restricting visitation and communal dining, suspending group activities, implementing extra cleaning measures and conducting daily checks for both staff and residents for symptoms.

During an outbreak, the facility must elevate its infection control practices and delivered items must be inspected and disinfected. For this reason, Autumn Lake in conjunction with the Health Department has requested that families refrain from dropping off food, clothing and other personal effects for its residents.

“I implore everyone to take this virus seriously and be vigilant to prevent its spread,” said William Webb. “Our highest priority is to keep everyone safe, and we must take every step possible to protect our most vulnerable.”

Information on COVID-19 can be found at Maryland’s website coronavirus.maryland.gov or Kent County Health Department’s website at kenthd.org.

A call center is also operational at Kent County Health Department, M-F, 8 am- 6 pm, @ 410-778-1350. The status of each Autumn Lake resident is communicated to the primary contact that Autumn Lake has on file. The Health Department will not be disclosing individual information about the status of Autumn Lake residents.