TORRINGTON (WNE) — The Goshen Healthcare Community (GHC) in Torrington recently experienced an outbreak of COVID-19 cases in their facility. The facility operates as a nursing home with a designated dementia and Alzheimer’s unit, providing long-term care.

Paula Murray, administrator for GHC, told The Telegram, “We’ve had 15 residents affected and 11 staff as of this week; last week it was nine staff. We expect we’re at the tail-end of this; most everybody has recovered.”

The first positive test occurred Sept. 12, according to Murray. GHC was following the Wyoming Department of Health and Center for Disease Control guidelines when they were made aware of the first positive test.

Before the positive test, GHC nurses were testing 20% of their staff and residents weekly.

After the positive test, GHC began testing residents and staff weekly, according to Murray.

All residents and staff who tested positive for COVID-19 were from one unit; thus, three-fourths of the facility was not affected. Murray said few residents and staff members showed symptoms. The first positive case of COVID-19 was an employee who had tested positive on Sept. 12. That staff member was asymptomatic, while one resident began to show symptoms on Sept. 23.

“It’s community spread; I don’t think in a community where masks aren’t worn, you can really trace back to an event or a person. The residents don’t leave, so a staff member brought it in,” Murray said.