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BELLEFONTE -- A local senior living facility is doing its part to protect its residents, staff and visitors from COVID-19.
Centre Care, located along the Benner Pike in Bellefonte, released a statement on Thursday announcing that it would require all employees and staff to be vaccinated.
The release said: "Centre Care is committed to keeping COVID-19 out of our facility and keeping our residents healthy during these extraordinary times. We are encouraged that more than 85 percent of staff are already vaccinated; well above the current national staff vaccination rate in nursing homes of 61.1 percent and Pennsylvania staff vaccination rate of 61.63 percent. Centre Care exceeds state guidance recommendations through the increased frequency of testing both vaccinated and unvaccinated staff, twice weekly with rapid point of care testing."
The release also said that new hires are "required to have the COVID-19 vaccination prior to beginning work at the facility and enhanced personal protective equipment (ppe) requirements through the use of NIOSH approved N95 masks are required for current non vaccinated staff at this time."
The announcement comes on the heels of a recent announcement by the Federal Government.
"President Joe Biden's recent announcement soon requires all personnel to be vaccinated in order for the facility to continue receiving federal Medicare and Medicaid funding, which is vital to Centre Care's operation. To that end, we are requiring all of our staff to be vaccinated for COVID-19 by Oct. 5 due to the risks the disease poses to older adults within our congregate care setting," the release said.
Centre Care will not require visitors to provide proof of vaccination. However, they are required to wear a face mask while inside the facility. Visitations are limited to just 30 minutes and must be scheduled in advance, in accordance with state and federal guidelines.
The facility has expanded its already rigorous cleaning program -- at great expense -- to enhance safety and mitigate risk of spreading the virus.
"We will continue to monitor and implement the latest recommendations from state and federal Health Departments and are committed to the hard work of keeping our residents and staff -- and their families -- safe and healthy," the release said.