Data on this page is updated weekly, usually on Fridays. In between, BRC will also update this page if there is significant COVID news including policy changes.

BRC sends email updates to anyone who is interested, monthly around the first Friday of every month. (To receive these, email your request to prevention@brcliving.org.) In between, should there be significant COVID-related news at BRC, BRC will send email updates and alert team members and residents. 

Update September 16, 2022

The past week at BRC

While there are three active COVID cases (two team members and one resident) in Unity House, one of our Nursing Households, the number of new COVID cases at BRD continues to ease. 

Vaccination and Boosters

BRC is holding a booster clinic for Independent Living residents on September 23. We expect our shipment of doses to arrive the week of September 18, and will administer to Assisted Living and Nursing residents who have given consent. A booster clinic for team members is in the works but has not yet been scheduled.

The single most important factor in avoiding severe illness, even if you do catch the virus, is staying up to date with the vaccine. 

There is a newly authorized bivalent MRNA booster which will provide protection against the COVID variants most prevalent in the United States. Our plan is to provide it for residents and team members as soon as feasible, and we are working with our pharmacy to obtain the needed doses. Residents in Nursing Households and Assisted Living/Memory Support will be prioritized. When we are able to schedule booster clinics we will share details with residents, team members, and family members.

For more information contact Infection Preventionist MJ Saufley at mjsaufley@brcliving.org.

Current Protocols at BRC

BRC does not require masking in our community center, dining venues, and other non-healthcare settings. We ask that anyone with a positive test refrain from visiting these areas for five days, and wear a mask for five days following that.

Infection control protocols in our healthcare settings—Nursing Households, Memory Support, and Assisted Living—are determined by regulatory guidance. Masking is required for team members and visitors in those areas. Team members are wearing KN95 masks in the Nursing Households, and visitors to Unity House, where there are active COVID cases, are encouraged to take extra precautions. 

Local Data Trends

New COVID cases in Rockingham and Augusta continue at a steady pace, still at a high level in comparison to earlier in the summer. Transmission rates and PCR-test positivity rates also remain high in all surrounding jurisdictions.

The model used by the Virginia Department of Health (the UVA Model) predicts that transmission in the Harrisonburg area will subside through the fall: 

Key Data 

Current Level of Community Transmission 9/16/22

This is the CDC metric that determines protocols in our healthcare settings (Nursing Households, Assisted Living, Memory Support). It measures transmission of COVID in the area but does not take into account COVID hospitalizations or hospital capacity.

ROCKINGHAM COUNTY:  HIGH
AUGUSTA COUNTY: HIGH

Under “HIGH” rating, team members in Nursing Households wear KN95 masks and twice a week we conduct routine testing of team members who are not “up to date” with the COVID-19 vaccines. Up-to-date means having all the recommended shots – the 1- or 2-dose series plus the booster for people under 50, and two boosters for anyone 50 or older. It will include the new bivalent booster after BRC is able to host a clinic for that.

CDC Community Level 9/16/2022

To determine the community level, CDC looks at the combination of three metrics — new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 population in the past 7 days, the percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients, and total new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in the past 7 days. The CDC updates the Community Levels by County Map every Thursday by 8 p.m. ET.

CDC Recommendations Based on Community Level:
Low Level: Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and get tested if you have symptoms.

Medium Level: Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, get tested if you have symptoms, and if you are at high risk for severe disease talk with your healthcare provider about whether you should wear a mask or take other precautions.

High Level (current condition): Wear a mask indoors in public, stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, get tested if you have symptoms, and consult your healthcare provider about additional precautions if you are at high risk for severe illness.

Local PCR Test Rates 9/8/2022:

For the first year or more of the pandemic, local PCR test positivity rates dictated regulatory requirements for our nursing households, how often we test all nursing team members, and other infection prevention measures. Other metrics have since superseded the positivity rate for that purpose, but we continue to report for consistency. A positivity rate of under 5% is considered “low”; between 5% and 10% is considered “moderate”; and above 10% is “high.” This data is published by the Virginia Department of Health.

Cumulative COVID-19 Cases at BRC as of 9/16/2022

Total Number of BRC Residents: approximately 530  Total Number of BRC Team Members: approximately 430 including full time, part time, and PRN.

Monthly Totals

Residents by Community Segment

Team Members by Work Area

Weekly COVID data for Local Area as of 9/16/2022

In Rockingham County, Harrisonburg City, and Augusta County combined (last 12 weeks)

COVID-related deaths in the local area 9/16/22

last 12 weeks

Data derived from information provided by the Virginia Department of Health