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COVID-19 Update
The safety and wellbeing of the Company’s residents, employees and caregivers is and has been the Company’s highest priority. At the onset of theCOVID-19 pandemic, the Company’s operations team swiftly implemented comprehensive protocols and best practices across the portfolio based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control as well as federal, state and local authorities. All communities have executed risk-mitigation actions, such as restricting access and assessing the health status of every person entering the communities, including the Company’s employees, all visitors, and all outside service providers. Tours are limited to only the prospect and one family member in most communities, with certain communities only providing virtual tours. New residents and residents returning from a hospital stay are required to isolate in their apartment for fourteen days. All employees are required to adhere to personal protection protocols, including wearing masks at all times. The Company’s communities are cleaned and disinfected at least twice daily. Certain communities with COVID-positive residents have received a specialized disinfecting and decontamination treatment. In most cases, the Company has implementedin-room only dining and activities programming. Due to the vulnerable nature of the Company’s residents, many of these restrictions may continue at its communities even when federal, state, and localstay-at-home and social distancing orders and recommendations are relaxed.
The Company delivered results in line with its expectations in March 2020. New resident leads, visits, andmove-in activity declined significantly in April compared to typical levels, adversely impacting occupancy. Consolidated occupancy, excluding thenon-core community sold in the first quarter, decreased from 79.8% for the month of March to 78.7% for the month of April. Revenue on the same basis decreased approximately $0.5 million from March to April. We expect further deterioration of occupancy and revenue resulting from fewermove-ins due to the impacts ofCOVID-19. Lower than normal controllablemove-out activity during theCOVID-19 pandemic may partially offset future adverse revenue impacts.
The Company has recognized and continues to recognize increases in supplies costs related primarily to personal protection equipment and paper goods required forin-room dining, labor, specialized cleaning and disinfecting costs, and testing of residents and employees. To mitigate the impact of the COVID-related expenditures, the Company has reduced spending onnon-essential supplies, travel costs and certain other discretionary items, and has ceased allnon-critical capital expenditure projects.
The Company is utilizing the payroll tax deferral program under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act of 2020 (CARES Act) to defer the employer portion of payroll taxes from April 2020 through December 2020, which it estimates will accumulate to approximately $7.0 million.One-half of the deferred payroll taxes will be due by December 2021, with the other half due by December 2022. The Company has also entered into short-term debt forbearance agreements with certain of its lenders effective April 1, 2020, some of which will require repayment of the forbearance over a twelve-month period following the end of the forbearance period.
Balance Sheet and Liquidity
The Company ended the first quarter with $27.9 million of cash and cash equivalents, including restricted cash. As of March 31, 2020, the Company financed its owned communities with mortgages totaling $923.0 million at interest rates averaging 4.7%. The majority of the Company’s debt is at fixed interest rates excluding three bridge loans totaling approximately $82.9 million, all with maturities in the first quarter of 2021, and approximately $50 million of long-term variable rate debt under the Company’s Master Credit Facility. The earliest maturity date for the Company’s fixed-rate debt is in 2022.
Going Concern
As describedabove, COVID-19 has caused, and management expects will continue to cause, a decline in the occupancy levels at the Company’s communities that will negatively impact revenues. Also as described above, the recent outbreakof COVID-19 has required the Company to incur, and management expects will require the Company to continue to incur, significant additional operating costs and expenses in order to care for its residents. Further, residents at certain of its senior housing communities have tested positivefor COVID-19, which has increased the costs of caring for the residents at such communities and has resulted in reduced occupancies at such communities.