On Wednesday, April 1, during the daily physical examinations mandated by ADIโs extreme sterilization protocols, it was determined that a nurse in the intensive care ward at ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran, our residential and rehabilitative village in the Negev, had contracted Coronavirus (COVID-19) from an unknown source outside the facility. Having successfully handled a similar situation in the previous weeks, the ADI Negev administration sprang into action to minimize the risk of contamination.
After quarantining the infected staff member and alerting the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the 28 residents with severe complex disabilities who had been in her care were removed from their ward and prepared for extensive testing by Magen David Adom paramedics to rule out infection. At the same time, a unit from the IDFโs Home Front Command moved in to fully disinfect the ward.
During the evacuation from the ward, the ADI staff and volunteers took the youngest residents โ babies and toddlers โ to the playground to alleviate their anxiety and keep them calm. Testing is ongoing and will take longer than usual due to the fact that so many of the wardโs residents are very young and require consistent intensive care. Following the testing, the residents and staff members will be quarantined in the newly sterilized ward until the results are analyzed and any additional infected individuals are identified.
Thanks to ADIโs extreme sterilization protocols, which follow the strictest guidelines set by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, it was confirmed that those in other wards and residences on the ADI Negev campus, including over 100 other residents and dozens of staff members, had not been infected and did not require quarantine because the infected nurse had been working in the intensive care ward exclusively and had not come into contact with anyone outside of her ward for more than three weeks.
It’s also important to stress that ADIโs nursing staff works only with the ADI residents and not at any hospitals, clinics or outpatient centers.
Additional updates will follow. Your thoughts, prayers and continued support is greatly appreciated.
Emergency Campaign
The needs of our ADI children cannot be put on hold.
Public support is more important than ever to guarantee that our residents receive their daily respiratory treatments, their many specialized therapies that are critical to their care and development, and the medications and formulas that are not included in Israel’s health basket. With events, visitors, and fundraising meetings on hold, these vital services are in danger.
Though our ADI residents are being distanced from the public to safeguard their health, it is essential that they never feel alone.
