2 SLO County nursing home residents die due to COVID-19
Two more San Luis Obispo County residents have died due to COVID-19, bringing the total number of local coronvirus-related deaths up to 11.
Both patients were in their 80s with underlying health conditions and lived at Vineyard Hills Health Center, a skilled nursing facility in Templeton that has had a recent coronavirus outbreak, the county Public Health Department said Tuesday in a news release.
Three Vineyard Hills Health Center residents and one former resident have died since the outbreak began, according to the county.
“Our hearts go out to the families who have lost their loved ones,” county Public Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein said in the release. “Outbreaks at residential facilities are especially dangerous — and we can all play a role in stopping them before they start.”
According to the release, the county Public Health Department immediately partnered with Compass Health, which owns all seven skilled nursing facilities in the county, to slow the spread of coronavirus within the facility once a case was confirmed.
Those who have contracted the virus have been isolated and the county is conducting tests on a regular basis.
Borenstein asked that everyone in the county do their part to slow the spread of coronavirus by wearing face coverings in public and keeping six feet away from people from other households.
As of Tuesday, 1,689 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in San Luis Obispo County, with 45 new coronavirus cases since Monday.
The first coronavirus-related death was reported on April 4.
For updates on COVID-19 in San Luis Obispo County, visit ReadySLO.org or call the recorded Public Health Information Line at 805-788-2903. A staffed phone assistance center at 805-543-2444 is available Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to assist with questions related to COVID-19.
This story was originally published July 28, 2020 at 3:54 PM.
