May 29, 2020

To: All family members of a current Resident at St. Martin's and to our friends

As we look forward to some sunny days in June, our prayers continue to surround all those affected by the coronavirus pandemic and their families. This has been a difficult time for many people, but we assure you we are continuing our efforts to keep your loved ones safe here in our home.

Our greatest blessing to date is that we have no cases of COVID-19 among our Residents and Little Sisters. The four employees who tested positive are still quarantined in their homes, remain asymptomatic and they must test negative before they will be able to return to work. Although the disease does not discriminate, we will take every step to protect the most vulnerable among us. We are aware that this is an unprecedented time of challenge and uncertainty. Medical experts are not ready to declare they understand fully how this very contagious virus works, the range at which it can spread, or predict when we will have a vaccine.

We have heard the stories of many friends and loved ones who been affected by this illness or cared for by a family member. Even without any cases of COVID-19 at present in the Home, we have many superheroes among our staff who continue to come to work and care for the residents to keep them safe, healthy and happy. We are so proud of our staff!

As some state governments are beginning to lift stay-at-home orders and allow some businesses and industries to reopen their doors, questions arise as to how and when St. Martin's Home will resume person-to-person visits. This is a difficult decision, but as the health and safety of your loved one is our main concern, we are not able to rush back too quickly. It is not yet time to lift the restrictions placed on our Home. We cannot base our decisions on economics here at St. Martin's Home, but on the health and well-being of all those who we care for here.

Now in this time, in the midst of the coronavirus, we continue to follow the guidelines of Governor Hogan, the Maryland Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and CMS in knowing when to safely open our doors to visitors again.

It is not easy to love from a distance and not to be physically close to your loved ones. We have been inspired by the creativity, innovation and compassion from Residents and their families over the past months. The possibilities are endless in finding new ways to keep in touch, and I have confidence that we will face the future together with courage and grace, strengthened by our shared love of God and neighbor. Please continue your creative "window visits" by Facetime, Zoom and Skype.
We pray for the end of this pandemic and for the safety of all.

God bless you!

Sincerely,
Mother Joseph Caroline
Little Sisters of the Poor

Previous updates:
May 22, 2020
May 15, 2020
May 8, 2020
May 2, 2020
April 22, 2020
March 19, 2020

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