We had 4 new COVID positive cases today. We tested all staff today, and the residents who were not tested yesterday, to ensure we are picking up any cases as early as we can.

Our COVID update since March 2020: Villa St. Joseph has 13 Active Staff and Resident Cases. We had a total of 160 resident and staff cases. Memory Care Assisted Living at Villa St Joseph has 5 active Resident or Staff cases and a cumulative total of 13 cases. Marymount Place has 3 Active Resident or Staff cases — and a cumulative total of 30 resident/staff cases.

Ohio’s COVID cases remained steady at 19,500 during the past weekend. New hospitalizations were less than 100, which is a good sign despite all we’ve gone through with Omicron in the past two months.

As I’ve been saying in my calls, the vaccine and booster remain the best ways to fight and minimize the effects of COVID. Vaccination rates right now are generally lower than they have been at previous points in the pandemic. The CDC said today that nearly two-thirds of the eligible U.S. population is fully vaccinated. Sharply increasing caseloads continue to overwhelm hospitals.

A U.S. federal vaccine mandate goes into effect today for all businesses with 100 employees or more. The Supreme Court heard debates and challenges to the rule on Friday but has yet to block or pause it.

Now for some good news … Ros Mullen and our Activities Team joined dietitian Chloe Yetzer to create an informative bulletin board on CCU highlighting Martin Luther King’s visits to Cleveland in the 1960s. Residents and families are enjoying this local piece of history. You can see pictures of the bulletin board on our Facebook page.

Finally, several of our residents and families have personally conveyed to me their appreciation for the job our staff is doing to care for our residents. I know we all appreciate your words of encouragement as we work tirelessly to keep everyone safe, happy, and well cared for. Thank you!