Coronavirus Outbreak At Woodland Nursing Home
WOODLAND (CBS13) — Yolo County has declared a coronavirus outbreak in Woodland. Now the area's most vulnerable population is at risk.
The cluster is at an assisted living facility and nursing home. Yolo County health officials have not confirmed the name of the facility, but multiple staff members and residents at St. John's Retirement Village in Woodland say the facility is dealing with a cluster of coronavirus cases.
"It's always hard when you're away from your loved ones," said Bill Lamb in Woodland.
Lamb hasn't seen his mother-in-law, who's in her 90's, for weeks. She's been a resident at St. John's Retirement Village for years.
"They've been on a strict lockdown, but they feel like they're being cared for and loved," said Lamb.
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Signs reading "Woodland Strong" and "Flatten the Curve" stand tall on his front lawn. Lamb says he's taking the high road and staying positive, even in light of this latest outbreak.
"We're here, we're together and we're going to make this thing happen," said Lamb.
Of the 35 cases reported, 23 residents and 12 staff were diagnosed, and one resident died. All staff and residents are now in the process of getting tested.
Lamb says staff told him everybody who tested positive so far, was asymptomatic.
He's confident his mother-in-law is in good hands.
"You've got family members, our loved ones, our moms our dads, we want nothing but the best for them," he said.
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Carole Herman with the Foundation Aiding The Elderly says the number is alarming. She says the facility is partly an assisted living facility and partly a nursing home and memory care center.
"The residents of the [assisted] living side are a little bit different because they have more contact with the outside. The ones in the nursing facility side are more compromised," Herman said.
She says nursing facilities should be trying to get their hands on tests before an outbreak happens.
"I think to be proactive, especially in that environment with our own most vulnerable citizens, they probably should be testing everybody in nursing homes," she said.
The facility's administration has not confirmed the outbreak.
CBS13 asked county health officials if they knew anything about how the outbreak started. They said they don't but that a virus is usually brought into a nursing home by either staff or visitors.
Less than a week ago, Woodland had only seven cases, and as of Monday, that number is now 43, the most in the county.