SLO County skilled nursing facility employee tests positive for coronavirus
An employee at one of San Luis Obispo County’s eight licensed skilled nursing facilities tested positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, the CEO of the company that operates the facility confirmed Friday.
It is the first local case of a skilled nursing facility employee contracting the virus.
Darren Smith, the CEO of Compass Health, one of the county’s largest private healthcare providers, said that an employee at Vineyard Hills Health Center in Templeton was among 14 new COVID-19 cases reported Friday by the county Public Health Department.
As of Friday afternoon, the California Department of Public Health did not list any of the eight licensed skilled nursing facilities in San Luis Obispo County as having any reported COVID-19 cases among residents or employees.
Smith said Friday afternoon that public health staff was at Vineyard Hills conducting testing of all residents and employees connected to the facility.
Compass Health and Public Health officials were in the process of reviewing with the diagnosed employee to notify anyone the person may have come into contact with, Smith said.
Smith said that the employee was for the most part asymptomatic and was feeling well enough to work. The employee believes they contracted the virus when visiting a family member for Easter, Smith said.
According to a news release from Compass Health, the company has has implemented several best practices at its six San Luis Obispo County facilities early March, such as restricting access of visitors and vendors and daily testing of employees and patients for signs and symptoms of illness
Compass Health is also requiring employees to wear masks and prohibiting them from working at multiple locations, as well as designating on-site infection preventionists and separating all residents into smaller units to limit chances for cross contamination in the event of a confirmed case, the release said.
“This scenario — an employee contracting COVID 19 and bringing the virus to work unknowingly while exhibiting no signs or symptoms — has been of high concern since the inception of this situation,” Compass Health said in the release. “While gloves, masks and handwashing have been in place, a complete testing of all individuals is the best course of action at this time.”
As of Friday, Smith said, Compass Health facilities are now providing masks to all residents as well as employees.
Anyone with questions or concerns relating to Compass Health facilities during the coronavirus pandemic is encouraged to contact the Compass Health Inc. Hotline at 805-474-7631.
