12 Healdsburg Hospital Employees Test Positive For Coronavirus

HEALDSBURG, CA — Healdsburg District Hospital is testing all staff members for the coronavirus and will continue to do so on a weekly basis after at least 12 employees tested positive for the virus.

In a statement earlier this week, the hospital said it worked closely with the Sonoma County Public Health Department to do contact tracing on the cases involving staff members.

It was determined the infected employees contracted the virus outside of the hospital, and that the infections were not related, hospital spokeswoman Gina Fabiano said in a news release.

"The hospital has been maintaining strict screening procedures that align with the county and state mandates, ensuring all staff are screened before their shift begins and again at the end of their shift," Fabiano said. "Screenings include touchless thermometer readings and a questionnaire designed to detect any early signs of the virus. The initial cases that were confirmed positive last week were detected using this screening process and the individuals were then tested and immediately sent home to isolate."

There were 12 cases of staff members who reported positive with the first positive test on Oct. 10, Fabiano confirmed late Tuesday in an email to Patch.

In response to the situation the hospital is testing all staff. At the recommendation of the Sonoma County health officer, the hospital also implemented a weekly schedule for ongoing testing.

"This group of individual cases is a reminder that the county is experiencing a high virus infection
rate and that extra precautions must be taken when going about our daily lives," said Healdsburg Disctrict Hospital CEO Jim Schuessler. "The hospital is an extremely safe environment for our staff and patients during the pandemic, and we are dedicated to maintaining the highest level of safety possible. However, we cannot control the actions of individuals once they leave our facilities, placing the burden of responsibility squarely on the shoulders of each individual to ensure their own protection."

Hospital officials said internal communication alerting all staff was sent out when the first few positive tests were confirmed with a reminder of protocols for masks and social distancing when not at work.

"Additional communication and education efforts are being developed to ensure all hospital staff
members are made aware of the issue and that full participation is expected and required to stop
this incident and prevent future ones," Fabiano said. "The Healdsburg District Hospital team is working diligently with county and state agencies to ensure the health and safety of its staff and the community at large."

Coronavirus In Sonoma County

As of Tuesday, Sonoma County has seen 9,402 cases of coronavirus (1.85 percent of the population), with 1,496 active cases (.29 percent). Since March, there have been 136 coronavirus-related deaths (1.45 percent of cases) in the county. A total of 213,129 coronavirus tests have been conducted among county residents.

Based on the county's rate of new cases, overall testing positivity, and the testing positivity of its residents with access to the fewest socioeconomic resources, Sonoma County remains in the state's Purple Tier, which is the most restrictive for businesses, schools and public gatherings.