David Swartley COVID Update #37

Jan 27, 2021 | COVID Update

From: David Swartley, President/CEO 
Date: January 27, 2021 
RE: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update #37

I am writing to update you on the latest information regarding COVID-19 cases at Moravian Manor Communities (MMC) and update you on the vaccine administration.

MMC continues to test all employees two times per week. Our testing for the week of January 18 yielded no positive tests. We concluded our first round of testing for the week of January 25, and all tests were negative. Our team is celebrating the “negativity!” Currently, we have six employees who are self-quarantining due to symptoms or possible exposure.

We also have had no additional residents in our skilled nursing, personal care, or assisted living test positive for COVID-19.

In residential living, we have two positive confirmed tests in the Warwick Woodlands Carriage Homes. The residents impacted are quarantining in their homes.

On Monday, January 25, MMC completed its second vaccine clinic for skilled nursing residents and employees. They also had the time (and supply) to begin inoculating our assisted living and personal care residents. This round, we have had several employees display flu-like symptoms from the vaccine. Typically, these symptoms occur on the day after the vaccination and have been short-lived. We have had ninety-four employees receive their second dose, and sixty-four employees have received their first dose. The majority of our residents in our care areas have accepted the vaccine as well.

My most frequent question has been, “when are you going to have a clinic for residential living residents?” The issue has become quite confusing for seniors who are living independently. It is critical to distinguish policy and what is possible due to limited vaccine supply and staff. Below is a summary of where we are at this point.

  • Pennsylvania contracted with Walgreens and CVS to provide vaccines to residents of skilled nursing facilities and health care workers (first phase). Each facility is assigned a contracted pharmacy. Our assignment is with CVS.
  • Thanks to Dr. Swisher’s persistence, she was able to secure early vaccination dates for MMC.
  • Our first clinic with CVS was on January 4, 2021, followed by the second clinic on January 25, 2021.
  • CVS cannot open up a clinic specifically for all residential living residents as vaccine supplies in Pennsylvania are limited. MMC will attempt to use any extra vaccines for higher risk residents in residential living.
  • MMC’s regular pharmacy contract is with Phoebe Pharmacy. Dr. Swisher has confirmed that Phoebe Pharmacy is willing to provide a clinic for our residential living residents. However, they must secure their supply from the Federal Government. They are working aggressively on that procurement. As soon as they can secure the vaccine, we will establish clinic dates.

I am not fond of responding to important questions with an “I do not know” answer. The fact is that the scheduling and timing issues are, for the most part, out of our control. What adds to the confusion is that all states are handling the distribution in very different ways. As I observed this past week with Wellspan, it is genuinely a feeding frenzy to get the vaccine slots when a provider has a vaccine supply.

The good news is that you will receive a vaccine in the coming months. As we are very eager to return to a normal lifestyle, it makes the waiting very difficult.

Our Medical Director keeps us apprised of the CDC’s latest recommendations regarding the vaccine and other developments. Moravian Manor Communities continues to follow all infection control protocols stipulated by the PA Dept. of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for dealing with the new Coronavirus.

For those of you seeking additional information, continuous updates are available at the following websites:

You can also email specific questions to: