Hello Village at Marymount Family, Friends, and Staff. This is Sue Nall the Executive Director.
You may be hearing about the coronavirus Delta variant. Without getting too technical, the Delta variant is a strain of coronavirus first identified in India. It’s now spreading in the US and around the world. It is a strain that has a cluster of mutations that help it to infect human cells more easily.
Do the vaccines work against this variant? So far, research indicates that yes … if you are fully vaccinated and don’t skip a dose. The key is: get vaccinated and get both doses.
Do fully vaccinated people need to wear masks because of this Delta strain? As of today, the CDC has not changed its mask guidance since the highly contagious Delta variant was found in all 50 states.
The CDC says if you are fully vaccinated, you can resume activities that you did prior to the pandemic. You can resume activities without wearing a mask or staying 6 feet apart – except in places where masks are required, such as on public transportation or in workplaces like ours.
We continue to do a terrific job keeping the virus in check. Currently, Villa St. Joseph is NOT in outbreak testing. Those staff members who have been vaccinated do not need to be tested weekly. Unvaccinated staff members must be tested twice per week.
Our next vaccine clinic will be held on Tuesday, July 13. Staff members interested in receiving the vaccine must complete a consent form that is available in the HR office.
As we have seen before, much of what I have just outlined can change at a moment’s notice. With the summer months upon us, it’s easy to drop our guard – especially those who are unvaccinated. If you are not vaccinated, then I urge you to get the vaccine as soon as possible. The vaccine truly is the only way we can defeat COVID.
Thank you … and stay safe everyone!