Apex assisted-living facility has a COVID-19 outbreak, Wake County officials say

An Apex assisted-living facility is experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak, Wake County officials announced Thursday in a news release.

Officials did not say how many infections from the coronavirus are at Brookridge Assisted Living, a 55-bed facility at 312 Lynch St. The release said the outbreak is among residents and did not mention any staff members testing positive for the virus.

State health officials define an outbreak as two or more positive cases, including both residents and facility staff.

Wake County has had nine outbreaks in large congregate-care facilities, such as nursing homes, assisted-living facilities and prisons, as of Thursday morning, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services website.

The state provides site-specific information on outbreaks on Tuesdays and Fridays. Small assisted-living facilities, called family care homes in the state’s regulatory system, are excluded.

Brookridge has received three out of four stars in the state’s quality rating system for assisted-living facilities. In February, it paid a $2,000 penalty for failing to immediately contact emergency services about a resident who was found unresponsive, according to regulatory records.

The facility is owned by Randolph and Edythe McMillan of Raleigh, state business records show. They did not respond to phone calls or an email on Thursday afternoon.

This story was originally published May 28, 2020 at 2:29 PM.