BOZEMAN — Last week, we reported that a resident of Hillcrest Senior Living facility in Bozeman tested positive for COVID-19.
That individual tested positive after spending time with a family member outside of the facility, and later started experiencing symptoms.
Bozeman Health Deaconess says rapid contact tracing and testing of 205 residents and staff showed there were no additional positive cases of COVID-19 in the senior living facility associated with the resident’s exposure to COVID-19.
Through testing, Hillcrest did learn of an additional, unrelated positive case of COVID-19 in a staff member that health officials believe is connected to community spread.
Bozeman Health Deaconess says the spread of the virus from the staff member was contained due to sound precautionary practices.
“That individual demonstrated just great universal precautions, wearing a mask, washing hands, and we have not been able to determine any additional spread from that employee,” said John Hill, President and CEO of Bozeman Deaconess Health in an exclusive interview on Tuesday.
“So very fortunate and very grateful for that employee’s adherence to all of those policies.”
Hill applauded Hillcrest’s speedy response to the exposure, and the lab workers' quick turnaround time for testing and providing results.
Due to privacy reasons, we did not get an update on the condition of the staff member or Hillcrest resident.