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San Diego congregate-care facility eases restrictions as COVID-19 vaccinations grow

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Posted at 11:46 AM, Feb 15, 2021
and last updated 2021-02-15 14:46:34-05

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — St. Paul’s Senior Living Facilities were among the first skilled nursing locations in the county to get the COVID-19 vaccine and now more than a month later, officials say they are slowly allowing more group interaction.

ABC 10News was there as the first resident of St. Paul’s Skilled Nursing Facility got his COVID-19 vaccine. St. Paul’s Senior Services teamed up with CVS Pharmacy, participating in their 12-week vaccination program that kicked off in December.

At the time, 45 of their residents and 95 members of their staff got vaccinated.

RELATED: In-Depth: Informal caregivers now eligible for vaccine

Cheryl Wilson, who is the CEO for St. Paul’s, says now all of those who wanted to get the vaccine at this facility have received both doses, which has allowed them to make some changes.

"We’ve been able to open up communal dining with six-foot distancing," said Wilson. "They are happy to see each other from across the table. We’re also back to opening outdoor visitation. And as soon as we get clearance from Health Services we’ll be able to allow families to come in especially those that have gotten vaccinated."

Wilson says prior to their vaccine clinic, they didn’t have any COVID-19 cases at this facility — and that’s still the case now after the vaccines were given.

San Diego County's latest COVID-19 data shows that the number of outbreaks in local skilled nursing facilities has dropped.