SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — A Spokane Valley long-term care facility is experiencing a coronavirus outbreak, according to the Spokane Regional Health District.
SRHD Spokesperson Kelli Hawkins said the outbreak at Gardens on University has “transpired very quickly.”
An outbreak is considered two or more cases at a facility, Hawkins said.
Hawkins said they do not have numbers on how many residents and staff members at Gardens on University may have contracted the illness. She said they hope to learn more Friday.
This is not the first nursing home to report an outbreak in Spokane County. In August, at least 12 long-term care facilities had outbreaks.
At the time, Franklin Hills Health and Rehabilitation had the most cases on the list with 76. The next highest is Royal Park Health and Rehab, with 72. The third-highest is Sullivan Park Care Center with 55 cases.
The Spokane Veterans Home was one of the first care facilities in the area to have an outbreak. The first case connected to the Veterans Home, an employee who returned to work before receiving a positive coronavirus test result, was reported on March 31.
As of May 19, 46 residents of the Spokane Veterans Home have tested positive for COVID-19, along with 23 staff members. All of the residents diagnosed with COVID-19 are being cared for either at the VA Medical Center or at local hospitals.
As of Oct. 8, Spokane County was nearing 8,000 total cases of coronavirus. SRHD reported 175 people have died from the virus, as of Oct. 8.
