BATH, Maine — Maine long-term care facilities have been hit hard by the coronavirus. Many are now administering the COVID-19 vaccine.
Winship Green Center for Health and Rehabilitation in Bath is one of them, but unlike other long-term care facilities in the state, the center said it has not had a single COVID-19 case since the pandemic began.
"We are very fortunate. It feels good, but we know there are things that can change that," administrator Carl Chadwick said.
The center has 67 residents and 75 staff members. Director of Nursing, Corina Wright, said staff members are constantly screened and are tested once every two weeks.
"We've done a lot of education in regards to the staff, that it might potentially be the staff bringing it in. It's one of those struggles we've always gone back and forth with," Wright said.
Chadwick said residents are only tested if they are showing symptoms or if they are brought to the facility from the hospital for rehab.
He said when residents arrive they have to test negative. They're then moved to isolation and tested again, days later.
"For some reason if somebody does have the virus that went undetected at the time they were tested leaving the hospital, it's contained in that section," Chadwick said.
Wright said residents are also evaluated every day for COVID-19 symptoms. She said it is a worry someone could be asymptomatic.
"Even our two-week cycle and we test our staff, we are always having our fingers crossed," Wright said.
Thursday was the first day residents and staff were getting their first doses of the vaccine. Both Wright and Chadwick said they are excited to see the outcome.