The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet reported a coronavirus outbreak in December at their convent in New York. Nine ladies have died of the virus.
What We Know:
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The outbreak occurred at St. Joseph’s Provincial House, a convent for retired and infirm nuns run by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, in Latham, New York, just outside of Albany. A spokesperson for the order confirmed that 47 sisters tested positive and at least nine have died of COVID-19 in the final month of 2020, saying the convent had largely been spared throughout the year.
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Forty-seven residents have been infected since October, according to Sister Joan Mary Hartigan, director of the Albany Province. She said that most have recovered but three are still being treated. Sister Hartigan said 21 employees had previously tested positive for the virus and recovered, and five more have mild symptoms and are quarantining at their homes. Those who died were between 84 and 98-years-old.
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At least 106,000 coronavirus deaths have been reported among residents and employees of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities for older adults across the nation. Sister Hartigan said the provincial house was following guidelines to limit the spread of the virus to the greatest extent possible, including using appropriate personal protective equipment, quarantining sisters who are COVID-19 positive, and prohibiting all public access.
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Daniel P. McCoy, the Albany County executive, said that the congregation had first sought help from the county to address an outbreak in the fall. He said the county helped with testing and contact tracing to stem that outbreak. McCoy advised that officials were working to understand the scope of the December outbreak after the Albany Times-Union reported the deaths of nine people associated with the congregation last week.
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The first death from the outbreak occurred on Dec. 1 and the most recent death on Dec. 22, according to Cameron Sagan, a spokesman for Albany County. These deaths contributed to making December the most deadly month in the county since the pandemic began.
The COVID-19 pandemic is far from over and cases are expected to rise in the coming days.
