Saranac Village at Will Rogers (Photo provided)

SARANAC LAKE — The quarantine at the Saranac Village at Will Rogers elder residence — brought on last week after the spouses of two different employees tested positive — ended at noon Sunday after those employees tested negative in a second round of COVID-19 test results.

Residents are now free to leave their apartments and be out in common areas and on the grounds.

“Thank you to everyone for your cooperation and patience during these four days of quarantine,” Executive Director Jamie Whidden wrote in a letter to staff, residents and families.

Activities resumed almost immediately. Sunday saw the return of bingo at 1:30 p.m., dominoes at 3 p.m. and a movie at 7 p.m.

The previously published November activity schedule will be in effect for the rest of the month.

Window visits have also begun immediately, though with some changes.

Residents will be at the living room window of apartment No. 5 instead of the bedroom window to protect visitors from falling roof snow.

Visiting at the window to the left of the main entrance has been discontinued because of the risk of falling snow there. A new window visiting area has been set up in foyer on the west lawn in the center of the building. Residents can access this site by going halfway down the stairs between the first and ground floor next to the elevator.

Both of these sites have been set up with caution tape on the west lawn to help visitors identify the new windows. A cellphone can be picked up at the desk for residents to use for window visits.

Video calls are also available again from Monday to Friday by appointment. Call 518-891-7117 to set up a time for a call.

Meals will still be delivered to apartments on Sunday and Monday as the kitchen staff had already set everything up for this, but communal dining will pick back up for lunch Tuesday.

“We are now planning on offering a traditional Thanksgiving meal in the dining room on Thanksgiving day for residents,” Whidden wrote.

On that day window visits will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, and video calls will be available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. with two iPads in use. Call 518-891-7117 to make an appointment to set up a video call.

Residents and employees are still restricted in where they will go.

“Due to the increasing rates of COVID-19 in our area, we are still not permitting any outside visits on the grounds,” Whidden said. “Shopping in our area poses a risk to employees and, in turn, to residents at this time. While we are not doing errands for other than medically necessary and essential pick-ups, Kinney’s pharmacy delivers Monday to Friday.”