![]() ![]() COVID-19 spreads through droplets in the air, which is why investigators are looking into the air circulation function of the fan. Inflatable costumes usually rely on battery-operated fans to suck air into the costume to keep its shape. The staffer did not have symptoms at the time, but subsequently tested positive, said Hilary Costa, a Kaiser Permanente spokeswoman. The Oakland-based hospital chain is investigating the outbreak and says the source could be a blow-up, holiday costume worn by an infected staffer who “briefly” visited the department Dec. ![]() Irene Chavez, senior vice president and area manager at San Jose Medical Center, said Sunday that 44 staff members of the emergency department have tested positive for the virus since Dec. > A Kaiser Permanente employee died and dozens of workers were infected with the coronavirus after a staffer appeared at one of its Northern California medical centers wearing an inflatable holiday costume on Christmas Day, the hospital and health care company said today. Kaiser officials said they adhere to current government guidance for COVID-19 and have also implemented required infection control guidelines for outbreak situations.SAN JOSE, CALIF. Mask use has been recommended for visitors and health care workers at those facilities. Kaiser Permanente’s medical complex in Santa Rosa on Bicentennial Way also includes two large medical office buildings. “Staying home when ill, masking in indoor shared spaces (especially people at higher risk for poor outcomes), and staying up-to-date on vaccinations remain highly recommended and effective ways to reduce spread and the risk of serious illness,” Baldwin said in a statement. ![]() The three deaths bring the total COVID-19 death toll to 556. The deaths, all fully-vaccinated individuals with underlying health conditions, included a man 60 to 70 who died March 25 a man 90 to 100 and a man 80 to 90 who died April 4. The reporting of COVID-19 deaths often lags by two or more weeks. “That said, people are still contracting COVID and experiencing negative outcomes.”īaldwin pointed out that this week public health staff reported three local COVID-19 deaths, two of which occurred earlier this month and one last month. “Wastewater surveillance is trending down in Sonoma County while hospitalizations remain relatively low,” Baldwin said in a statement. Instead, health officials are closely monitoring wastewater tests and tracking variants, hospitalizations and deaths to determine the level and severity of the virus. Kismet Baldwin, the county’s interim health officer, said public health staff are no longer relying on case rates to gauge the level of COVID-19 in the local community, as many people are no longer testing for the virus. The state now recommends that health care providers, including hospitals and nursing homes, “consider” the use of mask when the COVID-19 community level is “low.”ĭespite COVID-19 infections at Kaiser, the COVID-19 community level in Sonoma County continues to be rated as low. The more lenient masking recommendations are tied to lower COVID-19 “community levels,” as determined by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The California Department of Public Health lifted statewide m asking requirements, including for health care facilities, on April 3, as the outlook for COVID-19 infections continued to improve. Kaiser, the largest health care provider in Sonoma County, says it adheres to all applicable federal, state and local regulations about masking and other public health mitigation measures. Visitors will be required to wear a mask while inside the hospital building, which includes the emergency department, officials said. “In response, effective immediately, physicians and staff are required to mask in the Santa Rosa hospital and emergency department while providing direct patient care,” Kaiser officials said in a written statement late Wednesday. More than a dozen hospital workers at Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa Medical Center, along with “some patients,” have tested positive for COVID-19, prompting new masking rules at the facility, hospital officials said.
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