Second SLO County skilled nursing worker tests positive for coronavirus
A second employee at Vineyard Hills Health Center in Templeton has tested positive for coronavirus, but that person had no known contact with another worker who tested positive for the virus, according to parent company Compass Health.
Vineyard Hills Health Center is one of eight skilled nursing facilities in San Luis Obispo County, and the only local nursing facility to have any reported cases of coronavirus as of Wednesday.
County public health officials confirmed April 24 that a Vineyard Hills Health Center employee had tested positive for COVID-19.
Compass Health CEO Darren Smith said that the employee believes they contracted the virus when visiting a family member for Easter. The worker was asymptomatic for the most part, and felt well enough to go to work, Smith said.
Following the first employee’s positive test results, the county Public Health Department tested all 79 senior living facility residents and 139 employees were tested after the first employee case was announced April 24, according to an agency news release.
“We very aggressively responded to (the nursing facility) with widespread testing and we did those in house,” Public Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein said at a Monday news briefing.
The second Vineyard Hills Health Center employee who tested positive for coronavirus is a new hire who was in orientation that concluded April 24, according to a Compass Health news release Tuesday.
“She had minimal contact with other employees or residents,” the release said. “Since that time, she has not worked in the facility.”
According to Compass Health, the new employee was asymptomatic.
“We are grateful for the rapid and combined efforts of Vineyard Hills and the SLO County Health Department,” Smith said in the release. “In a matter of days, we have tested and obtained results for nearly 220 potentially affected individuals. During this testing we were fortunate to discover a second case.”
Compass Health is 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, according to a news release.
“This scenario demonstrates the harsh reality all healthcare facilities face, keeping COVID-19 at bay will be a constant struggle until a vaccine is developed and made available,” Smith said in the release.
