Good afternoon, Village at Marymount Family, Friends, and Staff. This is Sue Nall the Executive Director.

We had 0 new Villa St. Joseph COVID cases today. Maybe we finally have a handle on Omicron!

Our COVID update since March 2020: Villa St. Joseph has 10 Active staff and or Resident Cases. We had a total of 179 resident or staff cases. Memory Care Assisted Living at Villa St Joseph has 0 active Resident or Staff cases and a cumulative total of 14 cases. Marymount Place has 0 Active Resident or Staff cases — and a cumulative total of 30 resident/staff cases.

We are starting to see some positive signs on the COVID front. Marymount Hospital today has just 7 COVID patients and none in the ICU.

That said, the CDC reported that interest in the booster seems to be lagging. Only about 40% of fully vaccinated Americans have received a booster dose. The average number of booster shots dispensed per day in the U.S. declined from 1 million in early December to less than half of that number in the past two weeks.

Initial vaccinations also have leveled off. Less than two-thirds (or 63%) of Americans are fully vaccinated with the initial rounds of shots. I cannot emphasize enough the importance and benefits of getting both vaccines and the booster in the fight against COVID. Your health may depend on it.

Shifting gears to some good news about our staff …  I’d like to congratulate four members of our Marymount Place team for celebrating their 18-year anniversaries. We all thank Bev Kovach, Pat Laureano, Tina Harrison, and Liz Burdyshaw for their tireless service during the past 18 years. Each lives the core values of our Mission – Compassion, Competence, and the Celebration of Life – every day.

Fingers crossed that we are nearing the peak of Omicron. Please remember to wear a mask, wash your hands, and watch your distance when socializing with family and friends. Stay safe everyone!