Late last week, I told you Omicron infections have hit Gracedale. At the time of my story, 2 residents and 22 staffers had tested positive. Residents who test positive are placed in an isolation ward until they recover. Workers quarantine at home. This latest surge exacerbates a pre-existing staff shortage, so the Pa. National Guard has been asked to assist. It is sending six soldiers to help out.
These guardsmen are non-medical personnel. They will pass out food trays and water, transport patients, answer call bells and generally facilitate the non-medical needs of the residents. They will be at Gracedale, the largest public nursing home in the state, for five days.
During the last election cycle, Executive Lamont McClure came under harsh criticism for hosting the national guard once before. In the wake of a staff shortage and surge in infections, it appears to be a responsible solution. "The Guard has always come when we've called, " observed an appreciative McClure. The home's administrator, Jennifer Stewart-King, said residents come first.
In addition to the nursing home, 15 of 682 inmates at the jail were positive as of January 4. Inmates who test positive are segregated from the rest of the jail population.
Noting this latest surge, McClure is urging everyone who can get vaccinated to do so. He also recommends masks in public (they are mandatory inside county buildings) and urges those with symptoms to get tested.
The County has established a testing drive-thru at t 3100 Emrick Blvd. Bethlehem Township, 18020. Hours of operation have been expanded this week: Monday/Wednesday/Friday from 8:00AM – 4:00PM and Tuesday/Thursday from 10:00AM – 6:00PM. The drive-through testing center is located in the parking area to the rear of the Coordinated Health Building and is separate from patient parking and routine patient care. No appointment is needed for this free test. You can also get a vaccination there, but need an appointment. I understand the drive-thru is busy but you will be through in about an hour.. Unfortunately, there's been a four-day delay in getting test results. If yoiu have symptoms, you should isolate yourself until you get the results.
Steve Thode, who has been faithfully tracking the LV numbers since the inception of this virus, observes that new records are being set daily:
Today, Lehigh reported 1,640 new cases one day after the previous single-day record of 1,339 new cases was reported.
Meanwhile, NorCo reported 1,144 new cases. That beats the previous record of 1,046 new cases on New Year's Eve.
Obviously, the combined total of 2,784 new cases is a new single-day record.
Cases have surged more in Lehigh than NorCo. Over the past week, Lehigh/NorCo combined have reported a record 13,439 new cases of which more than 57% (7,661) were in Lehigh County. More than 2% of the entire population of Lehigh County has tested positive during the past week. No speculation as to why the surge has been higher in Lehigh County.
10 comments:
Lehigh County is more populous & has the largest city with more density.
it's a common cold now, it mutated to nothing, if your vaccinated, if your not, who cares, go Darwin
Gracedale, it appears, was understaffed before these staff members became ill. Have you checked their job openings lately? Key positions in nursing beginning with ADON, Clinic Coordinator, Infection Control Coordinator, Staff Development Instructor, RNAC, Nursing Supervisors are all of the “administrative positions” available not to mention all of the other positions in nursing, housekeeping, dietary and maintenance that keep that place running. Where are our council members in asking what’s going on there? Worst thing they ever did was to lose those key
employees last year over the vaccine (they had already had COVID). It’s bad enough when mistakes are made with inanimate objects but so much worse when they are made with people. Six National Guard to replace two dozen staff. Grateful for their help, of course, but do the math, Bernie.
@ 10:48 you were fired for misconduct, move on no one wants to hear you anymore or your boyfriend Lynch (oops did i type that about you two)
I think you have this knowledgeable person confused with someone else (you are so misinformed). I was never fired from Gracedale so listen closely. Check the present “employment opportunities “ at Gracedale and then determine if I am accurate. So many leadership positions vacant there, especially in Nursing.
@January 10, 2022 at 11:50 AM
They filled your bed changing position in 5 minutes, tell steve I said hi, he knows who i am
"it's a common cold now, it mutated to nothing, if your vaccinated, if your not, who cares, go Darwin."
Tell that to the hospitalized or dead. But you're right about one thing: natural selection is thinning out the herd a bit.
https://gracedale.org/careers/
Check how many Adonis have come and gone since DON in position! Check how many supervisors have. Check how many nurses have come and gone since she arrived. All facts. Doesn't really matter who says them. It's just facts.
Gracedale was losing a lot of people before that mandate even came out it's the way this administration is handling things.
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