SGMC Lakeland Villa resident tests positive for COVID-19

A resident of SGMC Lakeland Villa has tested positive for COVID-19. 

According to information from South Georgia Medical Center (SGMC), the patient is currently hospitalized at SGMC in Valdosta.

Below is information concerning the matter from SGMC:

• With the assistance of the Department of Public Health and in accordance with CDC guidelines, we continue to screen employees and residents for symptoms.Four additional residents who were suspected of having symptoms have been tested and we are pleased to report that all four of those tests are negative.

• On April 6, the day we received the positive result, all families and residents, employees, and the Department of Public Health were notified. Additionally, SGMC dispatched its clinically led COVID-19 response team to the facility to review containment protocols and a decontamination unit was dispatched to complete a deep cleaning. 

• As you may know, Governor Kemp has made available a special disinfection unit of the National Guard which has provided services to other nursing homes in the area that have had a COVID-19 positive resident. Out of an abundance of caution, the Villa will call on this unit when it’s available, but this could be more than a week away.

• Since being released in early March, the Villa has implemented CDC guidelines for nursing homes which includes restricted visitation and enhanced social distancing. 

• SGMC and the Villa continue to encourage the community and others to strictly adhere to all CDC recommendations to help limit community spread of this virus: 

– Wash or sanitize your hands often

– Avoid close contact with people

– Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others

– Cover coughs and sneezes

– Clean and disinfect surfaces frequently