Town of Andover Closely Monitoring Spike in COVID-19 Cases at Atria Marland Place

ANDOVER — Town Manager Andrew Flanagan and Director of Public Health Thomas Carbone report that the Town of Andover is actively monitoring the ongoing COVID-19 spike at the Atria Marland Place in Andover.

As of Tuesday evening, a total of 50 of the 119 residents of Atria Marland Place and 21 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19. Six residents have died in November.

“We are actively monitoring the ongoing situation at Atria Marland Place and we have been in constant communication with management as well as our partners in the Massachusetts Department of Public Health,” Town Manager Flanagan said. “We have offered whatever assistance that may be needed, and as always we continue to keep all of those affected by COVID-19 in our thoughts and prayers.”

Atria had been relatively unscathed by the pandemic, with only two cases of COVID-19 in total in the spring and summer months.

On Nov. 2, a cluster of cases was identified, and Atria took the correct step of testing every resident and staff member at the facility. Between Nov. 5-8, 11 staff and five residents tested positive. 

Director Carbone spoke with Atria management on Nov. 8 and received a briefing on the situation. The building was immediately closed to visitors and resident programming was shuttered. 

Director Carbone visited the facility on Nov. 10 and verified that all persons coming through the door were being screened (only medical professionals were coming and going.) At that time, 33 new cases were identified in residents. 

Since then:

• 11/11/2020 – Director Carbone called a DPH Epidemiologist to discuss the outbreak
• 11/13/2020 – The Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA) contacted Andover  to schedule a conference call for information sharing purposes; the agency had been in touch with Atria and were monitoring the situation.
• 11/16/2020 – Andover participates in a conference call with Atria, EOEA, and MDPH.  MDPH and EOEA issue the following guidelines:

1. Limit movement of staff among cohorts
2. Segregate care givers so they were dedicated to positive or negative cases.
3. Using vacant apartments for breaks instead of break rooms.
4. In room dining only
5. Culinary does not enter the memory care area; only that staff handles the food.
6. 119 residents, 16 were being treated outside of the building.
7. 16 of 36 memory care residents tested positive.

• 11/17/2020 – Andover participates in another conference call with Atria, EOEA and MDPH. A second round of testing for whole building is scheduled for 11/18/2020. Residents & staff are temperature screened twice a day; PPE carts are located outside of the rooms of each patient.
• 11/17/2020 – Director Carbone also spoke by phone with EOEA
• 11/18/2020 – Andover participates in another conference call with Atria, EOEA, and MDPH. An additional round of testing showed five new cases
• 11/19/2020 – Andover participates in another conference call with Atria, EOEA, and MDPH At this time there are 46 cases, with 26 of the cases are in the memory care unit. 
• 11/23/2020 – Andover participates in another conference call with Atria, EOEA, and MDPH. At this time, it is reported that six people have died. Staff coming off quarantine and testing negative are beginning to return to work. 
• 11/24/2020 – Another full round of testing scheduled among all residents and staff.
• 11/25/2020 – Another joint conference call scheduled.

Andover Fire Rescue has been providing emergency medical services throughout the outbreak.

The Town of Andover will keep the public updated in a timely and transparent manner. Additional updates will be posted as they become available, and the Town regularly provides updates and case information on their official website, at www.Andoverma.gov/coronavirus.

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