Due to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing homes have had to adjust in order to maintain safe and healthy operations. At Heritage Ministries locations throughout the county, cases of COVID-19 are trickling down to a rate substantially lower than the beginning of the year.
“In Chautauqua County, we’ve been fortunate in the last several months not to have any major outbreaks,” said Jeremy Rutter, Heritage chief clinical officer. “We are having some cases, on average one to two cases a month. Certainly nothing that’s disruptive to the service of our residents.”
Rutter said the slow infection rate is a big step forward from the “severe and significant” rates witnessed at the beginning of the year and last year.
“Since the rollout of the vaccine, we’ve seen great success,” Rutter said. “In general, about 50% of our staff are vaccinated, and 90% of our residents are vaccinated, which is great. We even have some sites that are at 100%. The residents and their families have really come on board with (vaccinations).”
Click here to continue reading this story, originally published by the Jamestown Post Journal.