A block of 60 rooms at the Best Western Dry Creek Inn are being used for an Alternate Care Site (ACS) for people who are recovering from COVID-19 and need a place to safely isolate away from their household and for those who may have been exposed to the virus and are waiting on test results.
According to a statement released from the city of Healdsburg and interim city manager, David Kiff, Sonoma County staff indicated that all of the individuals housed at the inn have been cleared for isolation at a lower level of care and are referrals from local hospitals. ACS sites not only provide a safe place for those to isolate away from family, but they also free up hospital beds for those who may need a more acute level of care.
As stated by the statement released by the city on Sunday evening, there are currently only a few people housed in this special block of rooms, however, the inn will continue to serve indefinitely as an ACS site.
“They are housed in an entirely separate building at the inn, with 24/7 on-site security and an on-site nurse who helps ensure that those staying at the inn are properly cared for and that they remain inside their rooms through recovery and quarantine,” the statement says.
There is no contact between other inn guests, inn staff and those in the ACS building. In addition, ACS residents are not allowed to leave the building — except to an enclosed courtyard — until cleared by medical staff.
For getting to the site, patients are transported to and from the designated ACS building by a county operated ambulance and are transported back to their home when cleared by medical staff.
Once an ACS site is no longer needed, decontamination will take place, an exit plan will be implemented and unsheltered individuals will be assisted in finding housing, according to Tina Rivera, the assistant director for the Sonoma County Department of Health Services.
The city will continue to work with county staff in order to share the most up to date information with residents and the community. Those with questions are encouraged to email the city at re******@ci.us.
In the joint statement from Kiff and Healdsburg Mayor Evelyn Mitchell, they reminded residents to keep up the handwashing, social distancing and mask wearing and remember we’re all in this together.
“Rising COVID caseloads in Sonoma County concern us and remind us that we’re in this together, and that we fail or succeed together, too. Healdsburg community members are asked to do our part in many ways — wearing masks, restricting activities like group gatherings and indoor dining, and now hosting an ACS,” the statement said.
