Most Fresno County COVID-19 deaths, 350 Tulare illnesses have been nursing home patients
State data about skilled nursing facilities in California now includes cumulative COVID-19 cases and deaths per nursing home.
The California Department of Public Health list, which changed its format again Wednesday, had been updated with total facility deaths, but previously had only active cases over a span of 24 hours, making totals hard to count.
The new state list gives the public more information about nursing homes in counties that have shared little data about them, including Fresno County.
There have been 14 COVID-19 patient deaths and 89 patients with coronavirus at Dycora Transitional Health & Living - Fresno, located downtown next to Community Regional Medical Center, state data shows.
That’s about half of Fresno County’s 30 reported COVID-19 deaths.
In response to media questions, Fresno County Public Health officials previously said a couple of the county’s COVID-19 deaths were nursing home residents, but declined to name the facilities.
That’s different from their counterparts in Tulare County, who have shared more about COVID-19 deaths and cases at nursing homes in their county – now in the hundreds. A handful of Tulare County facilities in the state list, however, were not reported by the county, which cited smaller numbers and privacy concerns as reason for withholding information.
Around 350 nursing home patients in Tulare County have fallen ill from coronavirus since the pandemic began, and dozens more health care workers, state data shows. There could be up to 365 patient cases in Tulare County, because two facilities are just listed as having less than 11 total patient cases.
Of total health care worker cases, only one facility in Tulare County is reporting any as currently positive.
A total of 1,632 skilled nursing facility patients in California have died from coronavirus – accounting for more than 40% of the state’s total COVID-19 deaths. At least 9,028 nursing home patients in all have contracted COVID-19 in California.
Coronavirus testing practices have varied by county and facility. Last week, the state issued testing recommendations for skilled nursing facilities that includes testing all residents and staff. Facilities are required to report cases to the county and state, who have been working with nursing homes to stop the spread of the virus.
Across the region, here is the latest information available about COVID-19 cases and deaths in skilled nursing facilities, as of state data through Monday.
COVID-19 in Fresno County skilled nursing facilities
- Dycora - Fresno in downtown Fresno: 14 patient deaths, 89 total patients with COVID-19 (43 currently positive) and 28 total health care workers.
- Dycora - Manchester in central Fresno: Less than 11 patient deaths (the state hasn’t reported numbers below 11, citing privacy reasons), 13 total patients (less than 11 currently positive) and less than 11 total workers.
- California Home for the Aged, Inc. (California Armenian Home): Less than 11 total patients.
- Six other skilled nursing facilities in Fresno County each reported less than 11 total health care workers to test positive for the virus: Veterans Home of California, Fresno; Fowler Care Center in Fowler; Dycora - Sanger; North Pointe Healthcare Centre in Fresno; Palm Village Retirement Community Healthcare Center in Reedley; and the Terraces at San Joaquin Gardens. (The Terraces also previously told The Bee it had one patient with COVID-19 who recovered.)
Coronavirus in Tulare County nursing homes
- Redwood Springs Healthcare Center in Visalia: 29 patient deaths, 117 total patients with COVID-19 (less than 11 currently positive) and 66 total workers.
Lindsay Gardens Nursing and Rehabilitation Facility in Lindsay: Less than 11 patient deaths, 74 total patients and 28 total workers.
Sierra Valley Rehabilitation Center in Porterville: Less than 11 patient deaths, 69 total patients (52 currently positive) and 17 total workers.
- Dinuba Healthcare in Dinuba: Less than 11 patient deaths, 67 total patients (58 currently positive) and 24 workers (less than 11 currently positive).
Linwood Meadows Care Center in Visalia: Less than 11 patient deaths, 18 total patients (less than 11 currently positive) and less than 11 total workers.
- Twin Oaks Rehabilitation & Nursing Center: Less than 11 total patients and less than 11 total workers.
- Westgate Gardens Care Center in Visalia: Less than 11 total patients (less than 11 currently positive).
- Five other Tulare County skilled nursing facilities were listed as each having less than 11 total workers with COVID-19: Sierra View Medical Center in Porterville, Gateway Post Acute in Porterville, Kaweah Delta Skilled Nursing Center in Visalia, Merritt Manor Convalescent Hospital in Tulare and Sequoia Transitional Care in Porterville.
This story was originally published May 27, 2020 at 4:11 PM.
