NC’s worst COVID-19 outbreak at The Citadel in Salisbury now considered over

ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. (WBTV) - What the state considers to be the worst single outbreak of COVID-19 at a congregant care facility is now over, according to officials. The Rowan County Health Department is reporting that there is no longer an outbreak at The Citadel.

The State Department of Health and Human Services says that it considers a COVID-19 outbreak to be over when there is no 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 first date of specimen collection from the most recent asymptomatic person, whichever is later.

According to state records, the facility on Julian Road in Salisbury has had 168 confirmed cases among its residents and staff, by far the highest number in the state. Local health officials say there have been 21 COVID-19 related deaths associated with The Citadel.

Results of a month-long state investigation released last week concluded that staff at The Citadel ignored federal quarantine guidelines, failed to notify families of infections and deaths, and helped create a “widespread” health crisis that put its elderly residents in “immediate jeopardy.”

The investigation, which started April 25 and which the report described as “unannounced,” uncovered two dozen violations of government nursing home rules before and during the COVID-19 outbreak. The report says The Citadel has since addressed the failings or has plans to do so.

There are now three active COVID-19 outbreaks in Rowan County at congregant care facilities. The Rowan County Health Department reports that there are 49 cases (37 residents/12 employees) and 15 deaths at the N.C. State Veterans Home, 2 cases involvong employees at Elmcroft, and 6 cases among employees at the VA Community Living Center.

One death was reported during an earlier outbreak at Liberty Commons and there are 7 deaths related to COVID-19 that have occurred in Rowan County that are not associated with congregant care facilities.