NORTHAMPTON COUNTY

GRACEDALE: Administrator Jennifer Stewart-King reports that vaccinations for staff and residents are continuing at Gracedale Nursing Home with a goal of vaccinating everyone at the facility by mid-October. Currently, 93-95 percent of residents and 58-61 percent of the staff are vaccinated against COVID-19.

“The health and well-being of our residents is our highest priority,” says Stewart-King. “We hold a vaccination clinic once a week at Gracedale in an effort to make sure everyone who can get vaccinated, is vaccinated.”

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has announced an intention to release an interim rule in October requiring facilities, including long-term care facilities like Gracedale, to vaccinate their staff as a condition for participating in Medicare and Medicaid.

Currently, all family and compassionate visit at Gracedale must be scheduled through the Therapeutic Recreation Department and all visitors must follow the facility’s infection prevention protocols while on site.

COUNTY PRISON: The Director of Corrections reports that currently there are 19 cases of COVID-19 among inmates at Northampton County Prison (NCP). Since the start of the pandemic, 215 inmates have tested positive; 196 have finished their quarantine periods or are no longer at NCP. Seven Department of Corrections staff and two vendor employees have also tested positive and are currently in quarantine.

Since March 2020, NCP has conducted 4,249 tests for COVID-19 on inmates. All new inmates are tested when they come into the facility and must show a negative result before they are transferred to General Population; residents are tested on a random basis. PrimeCare Medical does daily temperature checks, movement of inmates is restricted within the facility and meals are served in the housing unit. In-person visitation is prohibited and no volunteers are permitted in the facility. Cloth masks are provided and inmates must wear them whenever they leave their cell. Any inmate participating in work release or work programs within NCP must be vaccinated.

NCP has held 15 vaccination clinics so far this year and vaccinated 338 inmates. Currently, 278 inmates in the facility are fully vaccinated. Shots for inmates and staff are administered by PrimeCare Medical. The vaccinations are not compulsory and are only provided to those who request them.