WRC Weekly COVID-19 Update
12/24/2020
We’re sharing our weekly update to keep WRC employees, residents, and families informed of changing regulations and policies at the national and state level, as well as within the WRC continuum. Thank you to all WRC essential workers!
Updates within WRC Continuum
- COVID status at each community (as of 12-24-2020, 12:00 PM)
- Highland Oaks in Clarion, PA
- 0 current resident cases, 0 current staff cases, 2 cumulative cases
- Edgewood Heights in New Bethlehem, PA
- 4 new resident cases, 4 new staff cases, 41 cumulative cases
- Ridgmont in Ridgway, PA
- 1 new resident cases, 0 new staff cases, 5 cumulative cases
- Laurelbrooke Personal Care in Brookville, PA
- 0 new resident cases, 0 new staff cases, 5 cumulative cases
- McKinley Health Center in Brookville, PA
- 13 new resident cases, 4 new staff cases, 85 cumulative cases
- Please contact the community directly for more information about current and past COVID-19 cases, or the Director of Strategic Communication at 814-220-2142.
- Highland Oaks in Clarion, PA
- McKinley Health Center residents and staff will have the opportunity to receive the first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine during the week of January 11th, 2021. Vaccines will be administered from partners Walgreens and PharMerica, who are offering the vaccine to long-term care facilities at no cost. More details about the vaccination clinic will be released as they become available. Other WRC communities will have vaccine clinics scheduled at a later date.
PA Department of Health Updates
- The PA DOH released new guidelines for infection prevention and control considerations for residents of long-term care facilities with signs and symptoms following COVID-19 vaccination
- Signs and symptoms, such as fever, fatigue, headache, chills, myalgia, and arthralgia, can occur following COVID-19 vaccination, usually within the first three days of vaccination.
- Presence of signs and symptoms consistent with SARS-CoV-2 infection that are not typical for post-vaccination signs and symptoms (i.e. cough, shortness of breath, rhinorrhea, sore throat, loss of taste or smell) should not be attributed to the COVID-19 vaccine.
- Positive viral (molecular or antigen) tests for SARS-CoV-2, if performed, should not be attributed to the COVID-19 vaccine, as vaccination does not influence the results of these tests.
Other News and Resources
- Wolf Initiates Transfer of $145 Million in Funds to Support Businesses Adversely Affected by COVID-19 Pandemic
- Business owners and employees have worked hard to protect their customers and their communities during this pandemic, and I thank all of those who have prioritized health and safety despite the hardship of the past several months,” Gov Wolf said. “Our business owners and workers have been forced to make sacrifices because of COVID-19 and they need and deserve our support. “Today, I am pleased to announce that my administration will make funds available to help businesses whose operations and revenue were significantly adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
- The $145 million transfer from the fund into the state’s general fund requires legislative authorization to expend the money for the purpose of making grants to businesses. The legislature has the authority to establish grant agreements for purposes it deems appropriate, in this case, to support businesses adversely affected by the pandemic.
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