SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — Twelve residents of the Spokane Veterans Home have tested positive for coronavirus at last check, according to the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs.
Ten additional residents who were tested for the coronavirus received positive test results on Saturday.
Spokane County Health Officer Dr. Bob Lutz said staff members at Spokane Veterans Home were tested for the virus at the Spokane Interstate Fairgrounds site over the weekend.
The positive tests have been located in one area of the facility and the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs is working to prevent the spread to non-affected areas. Thirteen additional residents were tested between April 10-11 at the recommendation of MultiCare, although they did not have symptoms of the virus.
All residents in the facility continue to be monitored for symptoms and are receiving temperature and symptom checks every four hours.
The resident’s families have been notified that testing was being done and of today’s tests results.
Residents in the facility as well as their family members or representatives have also been notified.
Throughout the facility, additional environmental cleaning is being performed on every shift to help prevent any additional spread.Staff have been wearing additional PPE since March 30.
The Spokane Veterans Home announced on March 31 that an employee had tested positive for coronavirus. That employee was tested on March 23 before returning to work on March 27 due to not showing symptoms.
The employee's test results came back positive on March 30, leaders with the Spokane Veterans Home said, adding that they were working to develop a timeline to determine where the employee had been in the building.