By Cecilia Nasmith

Reporting at this week's meeting of Northumberland Council's Standing Community Health Committee meeting, Golden Plough Lodge Administrator Bill Detlor said there had been three days of second vaccinations for staff and essential care givers.

This took place May 19 through 21, he said – and of course, all residents who wanted two doses have long since gotten theirs.

One effect will be a smoother admissions process for new residents.
“We were down, at one point, to below 84% capacity due to the time it takes to isolate and the fact that we cannot do any new admissions when we are in outbreak, so that number has picked up,” Detlor said.

As long as the pandemic lasts, he noted, five of the facility's 151 beds must be reserved for an isolation unit.

“That has not been utilized, but we still have to keep that number of beds,” he said.

“Once the pandemic concludes and the emergency order is lifted, we will be able to release those additional five beds back to the community.”

There will be 180 beds in the new Golden Plough Lodge rebuild in a facility that will be shared with the Northumberland County Archives and Museum, and Chief Administrative Officer Jennifer Moore gave a brief update on this project taking place not far from the present facility.

“There's a big hole on Courthouse Road, where they're hooking up a lot of the water and sanitary sewer, and they are continuing to do foundation work,” Moore said.

A report will soon come on the permanent closing down of this part of Courthouse Road, she added.

“Right now that part of it is closed due to construction, but will be permanently closed as construction advances.”