CA nursing home patients evacuated when workers fail to show

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (CBS-LA)

Dozens of patients are being evacuated from a skilled nursing facility in Riverside after employees failed to showed up for work two days in a row.

A total of 84 patients of the Magnolia Rehabilitation and Nursing Center will be moved to other healthcare locations throughout Riverside County, officials announced Wednesday.

Just one certified nursing assistant of the 13 scheduled to work showed up Tuesday, prompting Riverside University Health System and Kaiser Permanente to send 33 nurses to help care for residents of the 90-bed facility. But those staffing demands a second day in a row required that patients be moved Wednesday.

County health officials say there are 34 cases of COVID-19 among Magnolia’s residents, and five among employees. The facility has no pending test results.

After the patients are moved, Magnolia will be closed to new patients, and staff will not be allowed to work at other facilities.

Riverside County reported 1,016 cases of coronavirus Tuesday, with 28 deaths and 67 recoveries.