Orinda Coronavirus Outbreak: 27 Cases Confirmed At Nursing Home
ORINDA, CA — At least 27 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, have been confirmed among residents and staff at a skilled nursing facility for the elderly in Orinda, officials with Contra Costa Health Services said Friday.
The outbreak at Orinda Care Center, a 47-bed facility on Altarinda Road in Orinda, came to the county's attention Tuesday. As of Friday morning, no deaths associated with the outbreak have been reported.
In a news conference Friday afternoon, county public health officials said they began receiving reports Tuesday of positive cases of COVID-19 at Orinda Care Center. Five positive cases — two residents and three staff members— were identified as of a result of the county's initial investigation. The two residents were already hospitalized at that time, and the three employees are on home isolation.
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County public health responded to conduct more testing; since then 22 more residents have tested positive.
Most of the facility's residents are over 65 years old, and almost half the COVID-19 cases involve residents over 80 years old.
"The situation is very serious, and we are deeply concerned about residents of our senior care facilities in Contra Costa County," Dr. Chris Farnitano, Contra Costa County health officer, said. "That is why we need everyone to follow the stay-at-home order, social distancing guidance and other measures in recent health orders — to protect the people in our community who are vulnerable to severe illness from COVID-19."
All the residents have now been tested and the county is working to get all the staff tested, as well.
Orinda Care Center requested the county's assistance in handling the situation, and county public health staff remain at the facility, where they are separating the residents who are well within the facility.
Contra Costa Health Services said Friday they are investigating multiple reports about possible COVID-19 cases in other sensitive settings, such as assisted living facilities, within the county.
"Unfortunately, this does not come as a surprise; it is something we have been concerned about for quite some time," county officials said. "We know this is a very vulnerable population."
CCHS did confirm two more coronavirus-related deaths of county residents Friday unrelated to this outbreak.
There have now been five confirmed deaths in Contra Costa and more than 300 confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection.
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This article originally appeared on the Lamorinda Patch
