January 3, 2022 —COVID Update – January 3, 2022
Happy New Year!
Unfortunately, we are starting the year in the midst of a surge in COVID19 cases related to the highly contagious Omicron variant. Since December 31, we have had eight staff and four contract staff test positive for COVID19 – of those, seven were just so far today. Thankfully most are experiencing mild symptoms, and most of the infections were acquired while people were taking time off from work, minimizing exposure here at Kendal. Please be assured we are doing robust internal contact tracing and any residents with an exposure of concern are notified.
In total, we currently have 15 staff and contractors out of work, and we are expecting to continue to see a high number of infections through this week. I may be communicating service interruptions to residents as we navigate staffing shortages. We are also identifying some areas where residents can volunteer if we become very short-staffed – I’ll be communicating more about that in the next day or two.
We announced to staff today a requirement for all staff and contractors who interact with residents to receive a booster by January 19th if they are eligible according to the CDC guidelines.
The most important things you can do to protect yourself:
- Wear a medical grade mask (not cloth) at all times around others. It MUST cover your nose and mouth – for your safety and the safety of others.
- Avoid crowded, indoor places.
- Minimize your exposure to unvaccinated/un-boosted individuals.
- Keep your social circle small, especially for dining. Socializing over meals without masks is a very high-risk activity.
We are working hard to keep up with the science and guidance to keep our community safe!
Best,
Laurie Mante