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View Winners → Arcadia Nursing Home Sees Spike in COVID-19 Cases
Arcadia Weekly Jul 29, 2020
Students in Pasadena will participate in a climate strike on Dec. 6 as international leaders meet in Madrid for the annual U.N. climate conference. – Courtesy photo
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With2,708 new laboratory confirmed COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County as of Tuesday,the county trend indicates some good news, seeing falling virus-related deathnumbers in nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
OnMonday, Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of Public Health, confirmed that the curveis going down in nursing homes in the County of Los Angeles. At Arcadia HealthCare Center, however, 45 residents and eight staff have been confirmed to havethe virus. There have been two deaths at that facility as of Tuesday.
“PublicHealth continues tracking the number of positive cases and deaths amonghealthcare workers related to the COVID-19 pandemic response. A total of 11,481healthcare workers and first responders have confirmed cases of COVID-19 in LosAngeles County and there have been a total 74 deaths. Health care workers whoare employed in skilled nursing facilities, and long-term care facilitiescontinue to make up the highest proportion of cases at 35 percent, but theirpercentage has been declining as the number of cases in outpatient settingsrises. Nurses (including LVNs and practical nurses) continue to account for themost deaths (45%) and those who work in skilled nursing facilities representthe largest portion of the healthcare worker deaths (65%),” the public healthdepartment said in a press release Monday.
Tounderscore the ongoing need to protect the long-term health and well-being ofresidents and the workforce as we move forward in the recovery journey, the LosAngeles County Department of Public Health has introduced and underscores a newset of three Cs: Compliance, Containment, and Collaboration.
Compliance:Businesses must comply with Health Officer Orders and implement the strictinfection control practices and distancing guidelines in place to protect theworkforce and the public. Residents must continue to wear face coverings,maintain physical distancing, avoid gathering with people they do not live withand continue washing their hands and cleaning high-touch surfaces.
Containment:Adequate testing and case investigations are critical tools to contain spread.The Department of Health Services has announced testing capacity has expandedto over 65% to serve communities hardest hit by COVID-19 that experience racialand economic disparities. Case interviews and contact tracing of people who arepositive or exposed are isolating and quarantining must continue. Businessesand employers must also do their part and alert the department to outbreaks attheir work sites.
Collaboration:Collaborating across all sectors and government is imperative to ensure clearmessages to the public, uninterrupted supply chains for testing supplies andpersonal protective equipment, and unity in strategies for re-opening with asmuch safety as possible.
PublicHealth has a dedicated call line for confirmed cases of COVID-19. If you arepositive for COVID-19 and have not yet connected with a public healthspecialist or need more information on services, call toll-free at (833) 540-0473.Residents who do not have COVID-19 should continue to call 2-1-1 for resourcesor more information.
