Visalia nursing home has largest COVID-19 outbreak among patients in state, data shows
A Visalia nursing home has the largest coronavirus outbreak in California among residents, according to data released by state officials Friday night.
Numbers in the state’s data appear to be lagging, at least for homes in Tulare County. The tally of infections provided by county officials to The Bee on Saturday is higher for one of two county homes listed by the state.
Redwood Springs Healthcare Center, a 176-bed skilled nursing facility, reported 91 residents and 46 staff who have tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus. Statewide, a total of 1,740 nursing home residents and 1,290 healthcare workers have tested positive, according to the data.
However, the most current number of confirmed infections among patients at Redwood Springs stands at 107, with 54 cases among staff, said Tammie Weyker-Adkins, a spokeswoman for the Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency.
Additionally, under “other category,” which can include other staff related to the facility or family members that visited, there are eight positive cases, she said.
“We have been partnering since the beginning,” Weyker-Adkins said of providing assistance to the nursing home.
For the first time on Friday night, state officials released data listing nursing homes that have reported infections. Media reports even then had indicated the number of infections at Redwood Springs to be higher, with 106 residents and 50 employees testing positive for COVID-19 as of Thursday.
On April 1, the nursing home announced its first round on infections with six patients and two healthcare workers testing positive. At the time, Redwood Springs said the affected staff began to show symptoms while caring for two patients in one room.
The Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency has provided personnel protective equipment, commonly known as PPE, to Redwood Springs and has lent a clinical resource nurse to assist with the outbreak.
“She is there to assist with staff and assist with guidance,” Weyker-Adkins said. The county nurse has been at the nursing home for several weeks.
Since Redwood Springs is a state-licensed facility, she said, the state has also sent people to conduct assessments and help with preventive measures. It’s unclear if the nursing home continues to admit new residents, and an administrator didn’t immediately return a call on Saturday.
The California Department of Public Health, which licenses and oversees skilled nursing facilities, has been active in assisting Redwood Springs, along with the county’s department of public health and emergency medical services.
“We are working to ensure infection measures are in place, mitigate further infections, assist with isolating residents, and assessing exposures,” a state agency spokesperson said in a statement to The Bee. “The team working with Redwood Springs is part of the state’s larger effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at nursing homes.”
The spokesperson also noted efforts by Gov. Gavin Newsom to protect skilled nursing facilities. Those actions include retraining 600 nurses to assist in compliance with COVID-19 measures and help with positive cases, as well as prioritizing testing for residents and staff.
The county has been in daily contact with Redwood Springs and conducts calls twice a week with other nursing homes, Weyker-Adkins said.
Providence Lindsey Gardens, a 99-bed skilled nursing facility in Tulare County, reported six patients and 14 healthcare workers who have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the state data.
Tulare County on Wednesday had confirmed 11 patients at Lindsey Gardens had tested positive. Weyker-Adkins said currently a total of 14 patients at Lindsey Gardens have tested positive, with six confirmed cases among the staff.
The state’s data appears to have switched the number of infections in patients versus staff.
No other skilled nursing homes in five Central Valley counties were listed in the state’s data.
As of mid-day Saturday, Tulare County confirmed a total of 397 positive cases overall, up from 382 cases on Friday. Thirty-nine have recovered and 17 have died.
Of the total cases in the county, more than 140 involve people 65 and older.
In Fresno County, the overall total of positive cases rose by four Saturday to 315. Of those, 85 have recovered and seven have died.
Merced County was at 87 cases, up from 85 on Friday. Three people have died.
Madera County had 34 cases. Two people have died there.
Kings County’s total was 28 after a Saturday night update, an increase of eight cases. One resident has died in that county.
Mariposa County remained without a confirmed case among the 90 people tested, with one result pending.
This story was originally published April 18, 2020 at 12:33 PM.
.jpg)