SPOKANE, Wash — A third Spokane Veterans Home employee was diagnosed with coronavirus Tuesday night.
The employee was asymptomatic and was identified through the regular testing recently required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service, according to a press release from the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs.
Two other employees were diagnosed with coronavirus on Sept. 24 and are self-isolating at home.
According to the Washington State Department of Veteran Affairs, the home will be carrying out symptom and temperature checks every four hours, along with enhanced surveillance for residents in the affected areas.
The employees with coronavirus were wearing PPE while at work, the DVA said.
Additional cleanings were carried out in the areas where the employees worked, the facility said.
The Spokane Veterans Home was linked to a previous 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.
A total of 10 Spokane Veterans Home residents have passed away after testing positive for coronavirus, either from the effects of COVID-19 or due to other medical conditions that were present prior to the diagnosis.
