March 5^th, 2021

In addition to Trinity Care Center resident testing, Trinity Campus tested all staff for COVID-19 this week. A few employee test results are still pending. 

Results from this week’s testing are as follows: 

Trinity Care Center – 0 positive residents, 2 positive employees

Terrace and Suites – 0 positive tenants, 0 positive employee

This Saturday, March 6^th, marks one year since Minnesota confirmed its first case of COVID-19. The state has since recorded 485,230 total confirmed or probable cases. Now, more than 52% of Minnesotans 65 and older have received at least one dose of either COVID vaccine. This week, Governor Tim Walz stated Minnesota will expand vaccination eligibility when 70% of that population gets their first dose. Vaccine eligibility would expand to people with high-risk health conditions and targeted essential workers. Younger groups and the general public would follow in the late spring and summer.

Johnson & Johnson has now received an emergency use authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its COVID-19 vaccine, the Janssen Ad-Vac. The J&J vaccine is different than its Moderna and Pfizer 2-dose vaccine counterparts in two ways. First, the J&J vaccine is a one-shot vaccine, not a two-dose vaccine. Second, the J&J vaccine uses a more common vaccine technology and does not utilize the mRNA vaccine delivery method. The vaccine is published as 85% effective 28 days post vaccination. Side effects listed for this vaccine are similar to those listed for Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

Please contact me with any questions or concerns.

Trinity Campus Administrator

Elizabeth Letich

651.460.1138

eletich@trinity.sfhs.org

3/2/21

Farmington Health Services tested all staff for COVID-19 this week. Employee test results are still pending.

Unfortunately, Trinity Care Center had one employee test positive for COVID 19 today. All residents have been tested for Covid 19 and will resume weekly testing until we have gone two weeks free from COVID 19.

We will continue following our infection prevention and control practices along with the latest guidance from MDH and CDC regarding safe visiting for our residents. Per MDH regulation, effective Wednesday 3/3/21 all indoor visits will be cancelled. I encourage you to reschedule your indoor visit with an outdoor or virtual visit. Please contact the activities line to reschedule at 651.460.1166. Once we remain Covid free for two weeks we can resume indoor visitations.

We continue to encourage all residents, staff, family and community members to get themselves vaccinated against COVID 19.

Please contact me with any questions or concerns.

Trinity Campus Administrator
Elizabeth Letich
651.460.1138
eletich@trinity.sfhs.org

February 26th, 2021

Trinity Care Center tested all staff for COVID-19 this week. A few employee test results are still pending. 

Results from this week’s testing are as follows: 

• Trinity Care Center, Terrace and Suites – 0 positive residents/tenants, 0 positive employees

Trinity Care Center is scheduling indoor visits.  Please call 651.460.1166 to start scheduling your visits.  All visits will occur in a designated area of the building.  Visits will allow for two visitors at one time, all visitors must be able to maintain PPE appropriately and follow direction. 

We continue to receive questions on how and when family and friends will receive their vaccine. Health officials have created a Vaccine Connector tool found at https://vaccineconnector.mn.gov/. This tool helps Minnesotans find out when, where, and how to get a COVID-19 vaccine. After you fill out a simple form, the Vaccine Connector will alert you when you are eligible to receive a vaccine, connect you to resources to schedule a vaccine appointment, and notify you if there are vaccine opportunities in your area.

We look forward to the day we can throw our doors wide open to the community. Until then, there are multiple ways residents in our setting can interact with one another and with their loved ones. We have resumed socially distanced communal dining and small group activities.

Please contact me with any questions or concerns.

Trinity Campus Administrator

Elizabeth Letich

651.460.1138

eletich@trinity.sfhs.org

February 19th, 2021

Trinity Care Center tested all residents and staff for COVID-19 this week. A few employee test results are still pending. 

Results from this week’s testing are as follows: 

• Trinity Care Center, Terrace and Suites – 0 positive residents/tenants, 0 positive employee

Trinity Care Center has now had two weeks free from COVID 19.  Indoor visits will open up next week.  Please call 651.460.1166 to start scheduling your visits.  All visits will occur in a designated area of the building.  Visits will allow for two visitors at one time, all visitors must be able to maintain PPE appropriately and follow direction. 

Currently, vaccines are being distributed to adults 65 and older, educators, school staff, child care workers, health care workers, and residents and staff of long-term care facilities. If you qualify in one of the above categories, please check the state’s online vaccine locations map (https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/find-vaccine/locations/index.jsp) or contact your health care provider about appointment availability.  Trinity Care Centers next vaccine clinic is on March 9^th, Trinity Terrace and Trinity Suites next clinic is Thursday March 18^th. 

Minnesota continues to see new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations as MN lessons the restrictions in public areas.  The numbers of cases and attributable deaths are declining as vaccinations roll out. State and local health officials continue to stress social distancing, mask use, and frequent hand washing or sanitizing.

With vaccinations becoming more prevalent, and knowledge that vaccinations are providing a positive impact in reduction of active outbreaks; it is frustrating that use of PPE and visitation constraints must continue within our care centers.  Until the CDC and MDH have supporting science to assure the spread of COVID-19 is reduced with vaccinations, we are required to maintain the same infection control protocol.  

Please contact me with any questions or concerns.

Trinity Campus Administrator

Elizabeth Letich

651.460.1138

eletich@trinity.sfhs.org

February 12th, 2021

Trinity Care Center tested all residents and staff for COVID-19 this week. A few employee test results are still pending. 

Results from this week’s testing are as follows: 

• Trinity Care Center – 0 positive residents, 0 positive employee
• Trinity Terrace – 0 positive tenants, 0 positive employees
• Trinity Suites – 0 positive tenants, 0 positive employees

Since the start of the pandemic, 3,977 residents of Minnesota’s long term care facilities have died from COVID-19, accounting for 63% of the deaths from the virus statewide. However, last week, Minnesota recorded an average of just 64 new coronavirus cases per day in long-term care settings; the lowest the state has experienced since September! On Tuesday, MDH released more data showing that overall trends are improving, and not just in senior services communities. The state’s positivity rate of testing has fallen to 4%, the lowest rate since June! The rate had peaked at 15.5% in November amid an upsurge in cases.

The drop in new cases is a hopeful sign that the vaccines are starting to provide the protection we need and the infection control protocols put in place are working. Our staff continue to find creative ways to ensure social distancing does not stop social interaction.

Please remember with any holiday, we see an increase in visits. Please schedule your virtual or window visit by today with our activities department at 651.460.1166.

Our care centers next vaccine clinic is on March 9^th, Trinity Terrace and Trinity Suites next clinic is next Thursday February 18^th. 

Please contact me with any questions or concerns.

Trinity Campus Administrator

Elizabeth Letich

651.460.1138

eletich@trinity.sfhs.org

February 5th, 2021

Trinity Care Center tested all residents and staff for COVID-19 this week. A few employee test results are still pending. 

Results from this week’s testing are as follows: 

• Trinity Care Center – 0 positive residents, 0 positive employee
• Trinity Terrace – 0 positive tenants, 0 positive employees
• Trinity Suites – 0 positive tenants, 0 positive employees

The CDC released a report that indicates a national average vaccination rate for care center residents of 77.8% and of care center staff, 37.5%. Minnesota is in a category with higher rates for both, with more than 80% of residents and more than 40% of staff. As of Wednesday of this week, 70,049 residents and staff of Minnesota’s long term care centers have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. We are conducting our second Moderna vaccine clinic next Tuesday for residents and staff! We will be hosting our 3rd clinic on March 9^th, 2021.

We want to remind our friends and family that may be participating in Super Bowl activities to please social distance, wear a mask, and wash or sanitize your hands often.

Please contact me with any questions or concerns.

Trinity Campus Administrator

Elizabeth Letich

651.460.1138

eletich@trinity.sfhs.org

January 29th, 2021

Trinity Care Center tested all residents and staff for COVID-19 this week. A few employee test results are still pending. 

Results from this week’s testing are as follows: 

• Trinity Care Center – 0 positive residents, 1 positive employee
• Trinity Terrace – 0 positive tenants, 0 positive employees
• Trinity Suites – 0 positive tenants, 0 positive employees

Due to Trinity Care Center’s positive Covid result, indoor visits at TCC remains suspended until we have had two weeks free from Covid 19.  However, we are able to re-initiate small group activities for our residents.  The residents are eager for BINGO and Friday Happy hours!

This week, MDH health officials contacted a computerized random selection of Minnesotans aged 65 and up, who signed up to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Unfortunately, with only 11,700 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to give away, many on this list will not receive the vaccine this week. If you were not contacted on Wednesday, your name will remain on the list for the next round of vaccine distributions. For staff and residents at our care center our next vaccination date is February 9^th.  For the Terrace and Suites, February 18^th

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and like previous holidays throughout the COVID Pandemic, must be celebrated cautiously. MDH and CDC have not changed guidance regarding residents leaving our care centers during the pandemic. With any holiday this year, we have seen an increase of virtual visits requested. Please remember to plan ahead and schedule your virtual visit with activities as soon as possible. 651.460.1166.

Please contact me with any questions or concerns.

Trinity Campus Administrator

Elizabeth Letich

651.460.1138

eletich@trinity.sfhs.org

January 22, 2021

Trinity Care Center tested all residents and staff for COVID-19 this week. A few employee test results are still pending. 

Results from this week’s testing are as follows: 

• Trinity Care Center – 0 positive residents, 0 positive employees
• Trinity Terrace – 0 positive tenants, 0 positive employees
• Trinity Suites – 0 positive tenants, 0 positive employees

This week, Minnesota is beginning a new COVID-19 vaccine pilot program. There will be nine vaccine sites that will serve persons 65 years of age and older as well as prek-12^th grade educators, school staff, and child care workers. All appointments available for the nine sites were immediately booked. These sites will begin administering vaccines at the end of this week.

We are thrilled to see the enthusiasm and determination of our community to be vaccinated and help protect our most vulnerable from the COVID-19 virus.  The CDC has released data proving that this Pandemic has disproportionately affected seniors. From May 2020 to August 2020, 78% of COVID-19 deaths were aged 65 and older. As a reminder, our care center will be hosting 3 separate clinics for vaccinations for our staff and residents. Any residents or staff members who were unable to attend the first clinic are encouraged to attend the 2^nd and 3^rd clinics for their free vaccinations. Our next clinic for Trinity Care Center is on February 9^th, Trinity Terrace and Trinity Suites, February 18^th.

Please contact me with any questions or concerns.

Trinity Campus Administrator

Elizabeth Letich

651.460.1138

eletich@trinity.sfhs.org

January 15, 2021

Farmington Health Services tested all residents and staff for COVID-19 this week. A few employee test results are still pending. 

Results from this week’s testing are as follows: 

• Trinity Care Center – 0 positive residents, 0 positive employees
• Trinity Terrace – 0 positive tenants, 0 positive employees
• Trinity Suites – 0 positive tenants, 0 positive employees

Please be patient about changes in safety protocols as vaccinations roll out across Minnesota. Even though the vaccine is here, the virus is still being transmitted throughout our state and we need to continue to be cautious to protect the health and well-being of residents and staff.

Until we receive updated guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health, we ask that everyone, even those not connected directly with our care center, continue infection prevention and control practices. Please wear a mask, wash your hands, don’t touch your face when you’re out and stay home if you’re feeling sick.  These measures will help keep the positivity rate low and allow our care center to host safe and socially distanced visitation for residents.

Please contact me with any questions or concerns.

Trinity Campus Administrator

Elizabeth Letich

651.460.1138

eletich@trinity.sfhs.org