Failure to Quarantine COVID-19 Positive Resident for Required Duration
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure proper infection prevention and control by not quarantining a resident who tested positive for COVID-19 for the required 10-day period before cohorting with a non-positive resident. Specifically, a resident with a recent positive COVID-19 PCR test was moved into a room with another resident before completing the full isolation period as outlined by CDC guidelines. The resident's care plan and facility policy both indicated that a 10-day quarantine was necessary, with day 0 being the day of the positive test swab. Interviews with facility staff, including the Assistant Director of Nursing and the Infection Preventionist, confirmed that the expectation was to maintain isolation for 10 days from the date of the positive test. However, the resident was moved to share a room with another resident on the ninth day, prior to the completion of the required quarantine. The Assistant Administrator acknowledged a miscalculation in the isolation period, leading to the premature cohorting of the COVID-19 positive resident.