Coronavirus cases are dropping dramatically in Mahoning Valley nursing homes with the second dose of the vaccine administered to about 90% of residents in the Windsor House and Shepherd of the Valley. 

In early December, Trumbull County posted a weekly total case number of 124. The county's most recent weekly case number for long term care facilities is three. 

"It's a relief knowing that they're protected," Matthew Hoskins, Shepherd of the Valley Director of Clinical Services said,  "Knowing that I'm not going to have to send residents to the hospital not knowing if they're going to return or not... so that is a huge relief for us."

Windsor House now has the green light to do monitored and socially distanced indoor visitations as long as the cases stay down, bringing them one step closer to normalcy.

"You think of where we started when we were kind of begging for testing and there wasn't enough testing out there," Dan Rowland, Marketing Director of Windsor House said, "It's a glimmer of hope for our staff our residents, and the families."

At one point, Shepherd of the Valley hopes their temporary outdoor visitation tent will soon turn into indoor, physical contact with loved ones.

"Family involvement and how we take care of our residents is crucial for success so moving forward," Hoskins said,
"I would like to see that happen."

Shepherd of the Valley is also working on plans to have indoor socially distanced visitations. 

Both nursing homes said it's up to the state to decide when visitations will go back to the way they were before the pandemic, but said they're ready for that day to come. 

"We are in constant communication with our associations," Rowland said, "They have assured us that the Governor is hearing from families about pre-covid visitations, but we have heard nothing coming from the Governor or Ohio Department of Health on what that's going to look like, but I can assure you we will be ready when that time comes."