National Guard reserves helping staff Fresno nursing home with COVID-19 outbreak
National Guard reserves are assisting with the coronavirus response at a Fresno skilled nursing facility that faced a staffing shortage.
The reserves are working at Twilight Haven in southeast Fresno, said Dr. Rais Vohra, Fresno County’s interim health officer.
“It’s very unusual, and I would say extraordinary, for the National Guard to need to come help a medical facility here in our county,” Vohra said Friday afternoon.
Vohra didn’t say exactly how many Twilight Haven residents or staffers tested positive for COVID-19, but he said the outbreak there is compounded by a staffing shortage.
Fresno County Public Health has worked with the facility for several days, Vohra said, requesting volunteers and paramedic staff.
The facility administrator at Twilight Haven declined to comment on the situation.
The National Guard said Twilight Haven may receive additional resources, and the situation is being assessed.
Fresno City Councilmember Luis Chavez, who represents the district where Twilight Haven is located, called on county leaders to take charge and be transparent about such outbreaks and responses.
“This makes it more evident that the county of Fresno leaders need to be fully transparent in notifying local area leaders of such outbreaks and to be fully transparent to the public,” he said. “While we thank the governor, it is unfortunate that he must deploy our National Guard to assist where our county leaders should be taking full charge by providing the funding and tools to allow our county health department to be the first responders to such incidents.”
His office stands ready to assist the facility, Chavez said.
Chavez has been a vocal critic of the way the Fresno County Board of Supervisors have managed the response to the pandemic.
His comments on Twilight Haven came hours after Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula, D-Fresno, confronted county supervisors seeking an emergency public meeting to discuss CARES Act funding allocations.
And at about the same time, the county announced that its leaders are joining with City of Fresno leaders July 28 for a public workshop where the two agencies will discuss a spending strategy for federal coronavirus aid relief.
County Supervisor Buddy Mendes responded to Chavez’s comments, noting that Chavez speaks with County Supervisor Steve Brandau at least two times a week. “I don’t know why in the hell he’s pontificating untrue things to you,” Mendes said.
Mendes refused to elaborate.
This story was originally published July 17, 2020 at 5:06 PM.