Salinas skilled nursing facility reports COVID-19 cases among staff, patients
SALINAS, Calif. (KION) UPDATED 4/20/20 5:50 p.m. Windsor The Ridge Rehabilitation Center said the residents who tested positive are under isolation inside the facility. But exactly how many staff members were infected is still unclear.
Three residents and an unknown amount of employees have tested positive for COVID-19 at the facility on Iris Drive.
The first case was confirmed on April 7.
Data from the California Department of Public Health shows there is at least one staff case but less than 11. CDPH would not elaborate for us Monday.
In a statement to KION, Windsor The Ridge said they are taking precautions during the pandemic, writing:
“For some time now we have been screening employees at the start of each shift for symptoms of COVID-19 infection, including daily temperature checks and completion of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-compliant screening questionnaire.”
FULL STATEMENT BELOW
We're told that employees who show signs of illness are asked to leave immediately and isolate at home.
They also said they have increased sanitation of frequently-touched surfaces and have ample supplies of personal protective equipment. The center is also restricting visits.
Other skilled nursing facilities are also implementing procedures to keep residents and staff safe, including Cypress Ridge Care Center in Monterey.
Administrator Ryan McCormack told KION in addition to employee screenings, the facility documents where employees worked and their time in and out of the facility.
“Cypress ridge has also increased our infection control rounds. We’re targeting high tough areas and increasing routine and deep cleaning schedules in all areas of the facility. We have installed also hadn’t hygiene units outside every patient room,” McCormack said.
McCormack said there are no confirmed or suspected cases at Cypress Ridge.
CDPH determined Cypress Ridge is in compliance with requirements for infection prevention.
We’re told Windsor the Ridge has been collaborating closely with local, state and federal authorities during the pandemic.
We reached out to management for further information on staff cases but have not heard back.
STATEMENT FROM WINDSOR THE RIDGE REHABILITATION CENTER:
"Windsor The Ridge Rehabilitation Center (“Windsor”) has a limited number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 among staff and residents. The first case was confirmed on April 7, 2020. Three residents who have tested positive remain in-house and are in isolation.
The facility immediately shared this information with the local Department of Public Health. The facility is very appreciative of the support that has been provided.
Rest assured, since the onset of this pandemic, Windsor’s clinical team has been collaborating closely with local, state and federal authorities, as well as the facility’s medical director. Nothing is more important to us than providing a safe environment for our residents and team members.
For some time now we have been screening employees at the start of each shift for symptoms of COVID-19 infection, including daily temperature checks and completion of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-compliant screening questionnaire. Employees who show signs of illness are asked to leave immediately and isolate at home.
In addition, visits to our facility have been restricted in compliance with state and federal guidelines. We have increased sanitation of frequently-touched surfaces. We have ample supplies of personal protective equipment.
We are also quickly providing answers to family questions via various secure communication sources.
We are proud of our staff and their dedication to the residents.
We respectfully request that all further inquiries be directed to the local Department of Public Health."
UPDATED 4/20/2020 12:01 p.m. A Salinas nursing home facility confirmed with KION Monday that there is a limited number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 among staff and residents there.
In a statement to KION, Windsor The Ridge Rehabilitation Center in Salinas said that three residents who tested positive remain in-house and are in isolation. The first case was confirmed on April 7, 2020.
The Department of Public Health lists Windsor The Ridge Rehabilitation Center in Salinas as having less than 11 cases among staff and patients in the agency's website, as pictured in the image below.
We reached out to the nursing home and the Monterey County Health Department for more information.
The data shows there are 1740 positive cases among patients and 1290 positive cases among staff members at the reporting facilities across California.
KION's Elisha Machado will have a report on KION News at 5 and 6 with what measures the facility has implemented to keep residents and staff members safe during the pandemic and what happens to employees that test positive there.
PREVIOUS STORY 4/18/2020:
New data from the California Department of Public Health indicates that a at least one staff member and patient at a Salinas skilled nursing facility have tested positive for COVID-19.
A chart on the health department's website lists Windsor The Ridge Rehabilitation Center as one of dozens of nursing facilities reporting positive cases of COVID-19 cases among staff and patients.
But the number of how many people may have the virus at the nursing facility is unclear. The chart from the Department of Public Health's website, pictured above, shows less than 11 staff members and less than 11 patients as the sum of the "positive count" at the nursing facility on Iris Drive in Salinas.
The health department writes, "this data is comprised of a point in time snapshot of the 86% of SNFs who reported their data within the last 24 hours."
There are 1224 Skilled Nursing Facilities in California and 258 have reported having one or more COVID-19 case by either a resident or a health care worker as of April 17, 2020, according to the health department.
We reached out to Windsor The Ridge Rehabilitation Center and the Monterey County Health Department for more information.
