UNITY — A vaccinated dietary aide with cold symptoms at Sullivan County nursing home tested positive for COVID-19 on a rapid test, according to the facility’s administrator.
As a result of the positive case, which was identified on Friday, the facility has once again halted social and outdoor visits, as well as off-site outings until test results are back for everyone in the facility, administrator Ted Purdy wrote in a message to families. Results are expected sometime next week, he said.
Purdy said the case illustrates the importance of vaccination in the broader community. He noted that cases in vaccinated individuals tend to be mild and that vaccination reduces the risk of hospitalization and death.
The Sullivan County Commissioners are offering an incentive in order to boost the vaccination rate among county employees, which currently stands at 72%, Purdy said.
The nursing home has been the site of two COVID-19 outbreaks in the past year. The first, which ended in February, included 180 cases and five deaths. The second, which ended in June, included 27 cases and no deaths.