Third nursing home hit with coronavirus outbreak in Tulare County; total cases over 500
A third, and fourth, nursing facility in Tulare County has been hit with an outbreak of the coronavirus.
The Tulare County Public Health Branch announced on Monday that 10 residents of the Linwood Meadows Care Center in Visalia tested positive for COVID-19, the coronavirus, and that the county and state are working to ensure the facility is following proper care guidelines and has appropriate personal-protection equipment and collection kits to expand testing for employees and residents.
The facility is owed by the Plum Corporation, which also owns Redwood Springs Healthcare Center in Visalia where 114 residents, 60 staff members and eight related individuals have tested positive for COVID-19.
Twin Oaks Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Tulare also experienced an outbreak according to the California Department of Public Health. The facility did not respond to requests for comment on Monday.
Lindsay Gardens, the other Visalia skilled nursing facility to experience an outbreak, has 38 residents who have tested positive for COVID-19, along with 14 staff and six others.
“As public health professionals, we are concerned about these outbreaks, and we are working with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Licensing and Certification Program to implement all necessary safeguards at the facility,” Tulare County Public Health Director Karen Elliott said in a news release.
In it’s daily online update, Tulare Health and Human Services Agency confirmed a total of 532 cases, an increase of 28 cases from the day prior. Thirty-two people have died in the county since the outbreak began and 94 have recovered.
No new deaths have been reported there since Saturday.
Around the region
The number of positive cases in the central San Joaquin Valley now tops 1,200. Forty-five people have died across the six counties.
Fresno County had 458 positive cases as of its last update on Saturday. Seven county residents have died and 157 have recovered.
Merced County added three new cases on Monday, for a total of 108 confirmed cases. Three people have died and 61 have recovered.
Madera County has 41 positive cases as of an update on Sunday. Two people have died and 27 have recovered
Kings County added 32 cases over the weekend. As of Monday the county had 67 positive cases. One person has died and nine have recovered.
Mariposa County continues to report a confirmed coronavirus cases among the 109 test it has administered.
This story was originally published April 27, 2020 at 1:11 PM.