After 4 Months Apart, Bria Of Geneva Residents Visit With Family

GENEVA, IL — Four months after being forced to shut its doors to visitors as the coronavirus began to spread, the Bria of Geneva senior living facility recently welcomed families back to see their loved ones.

Residents enjoyed the company of their families at outdoor visits after meeting a series of “stringent criteria” to ensure the safety of everyone involved, Bria Health Services officials said in a news release.

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The facility was the site of one of the deadliest outbreaks in Kane County, with 26 coronavirus-related deaths as of Wednesday, according to public health data. Coronavirus cases quickly rose at the facility, with officials reporting more than 100 cases among residents and staff at the start of May.

Over the past 10 weeks, just 11 more cases have been reported at Bria of Geneva, according to statistics from the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Bria Health Services established a coronavirus task force in June to implement best practices and treatments related to the virus across its 10 facilities in Illinois and Wisconsin. The task force, made up of infectious disease experts, is leading a team of clinicians to develop advanced infection-control protocols and limit the spread of the coronavirus, officials said.

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Dr. David Hines said the task force spent the past several weeks evaluating how to safely reopen for outdoor visits after Illinois moved to phase 4 of its reopening plan at the end of June. Hines is a co-chair of Bria’s coronavirus task force.

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“We are very pleased to be able to reunite families who have been waiting for months to visit with their loved ones,” said Dr. David Hines, the co-chair of Bria’s coronavirus task force.

Before visitors can meet with residents, everyone involved must be free of the coronavirus or related symptoms and be screened within 24 hours of the visit, officials said. Visitors and residents are screened a second time just before the meeting.

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Visitors are required to stay at least 6 feet away from their family members, and staff monitor the visits to ensure social distancing is maintained, according to officials. Residents and visitors must wear masks at all times.

Bria of Geneva is facing at least six lawsuits from families of residents who died from coronavirus-related conditions.

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