Since March, our lives have shifted in unparalleled ways. Words like “quarantine” and “social distance” were added to our daily vocabulary. And every trip, visit, and appointment caused us to consider the potential complications of a new virus in our midst.
In the last month, nearly all of our communities have had cases of COVID-19. Your community will continue to share these cases and updates with you as we continue to battle. In November, 105 residents throughout the organization tested positive. Of that number 62 have recovered, 42 have active cases, and 1 person has passed away. We continue to work hard and be diligent to protect the 1,400 residents who call Walker Methodist home.
Since the start, 9 months ago, we’ve been looking forward to a time when a vaccine would be available. And we are excited to see this process beginning to unfold.
As you know, a vaccine has been created, and the government is already making plans for distribution. We also want to note that the information we share today is not set in stone, and we know that there may be many questions. But please know that we will be as open and transparent as possible through this process, and today’s information may not the be accurate tomorrow. We’ll do our best to keep you informed.
Our governing bodies have determined the order for who will be given access to the vaccine, and they have decided that healthcare professionals—including our team members—will be prioritized first. Because residents are considered a high-risk group, they are prioritized next. We do not have the ability to control which community will get the vaccine first. This is not a quick process, and it requires a great deal of coordination with county, state, and federal agencies. Resident families and others in the general public will have to wait until the supply of the vaccine is larger.
We have attached a Frequently Asked Questions guide from LeadingAge that helps explain more about why the vaccine is so important in defeating COVID-19.
The news of the vaccine gives us hope for a new chapter in our fight against the virus. We thank you for continuing to help us fight to protect our residents and teams by wearing your masks, maintaining social distancing, washing your hands, and staying home when you feel sick. We will continue testing weekly, so we hope that residents will continue to allow us to perform these routine tests.
We urge you to consider getting the vaccine when it is available because it will not only protect you, but it will help us take a big step toward ending this pandemic.
Thank you for your continued trust in Walker Methodist. Together we will overcome.