Latest COVID-19 casualty raises Sonoma County nursing home deaths to 11 during pandemic

Jul. 20--A woman who died over the weekend from complications of the coronavirus was a skilled nursing center patient, boosting the number of local nursing home residents to die to 11 and her death showed the viral outbreak in nursing homes keeps widening in Sonoma County, where by Monday included infections of at least 117 residents and staff among 14 facilities, according to state public health department data.

The latest fatality increased the death toll during the ongoing pandemic that arrived in March to 20, and 15 of the deaths have occurred since June 28 as the infectious disease rages in the area.

The woman who died at an unidentified local hospital, and described only by county health officials as over 65, is another victim of COVID-19's deep infiltration of vulnerable sick and frail residents at the county's 20 skilled nursing facilities.

Sonoma County Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase expressed hope Monday the county would have news this week on a long-sought site that would enable COVID-positive patients from different nursing homes to be isolated together, so that other patients at those sites would be less likely to be exposed to the highly contagious virus.

Mase said during a press briefing options might include properties that are vacant or not yet open, or that have a significant number of infections already and could "become the COVID-positive" skilled nursing center for COVID-19 patients from different sites.

"There are multiple different places we're looking at, just trying to figure out which one would work out," she said.

The largest area skilled nursing outbreak at Broadway Villa Post Acute in Sonoma now accounts for 62 infections since June 10, including 43 among residents, and what appear to be eight deaths based on an analysis of county and state health department data.

EmpRes Post Acute Rehabilitation in Petaluma reported having had 15 cases among its residents, while Petaluma Post-Acute Rehab, has had 14 residents infected at some point.

Both Petaluma sites also have recorded at least one resident death, although there could be more because after reporting a single death a skilled nursing center doesn't have to report another specific death total until it exceeds 11, under state health department rules.

Sonoma County's coronavirus transmission rate over the previous 14 days has been on a troubling upward trajectory for weeks, reaching 154 cases per 100,000 population on Monday. The state threshold for intervention and resuming restrictions to business activity is 100 cases per 100,000 people.

The rising speed of the virus' spread has hastened the local doubling rate to 26 days, meaning at the current rate of transmission, the county is projected to hit 4,424 cases by Aug. 15.

To underscore the magnitude of the resurgence of cases, the county has more people now infected as the entire state had on Memorial Day.

The county reported 43 new infections on Monday, raising the total to 2,212 since the first local case March 2. There are 963 active cases and 1,229 people have recovered.

Mase on Monday again urged residents to help the community "stem the tide of rising COVID-19 cases," in part by wearing facial coverings, washing hands and avoiding large gatherings.

"Even gatherings over 10 people are fueling rising infections," she said, noting local outbreaks had been traced to Father's Day and Fourth of July events.

They, in turn, helped drive a doubling of cases in a month that prompted the state to close bars, gyms, hair and nail salons and many other business operations and activities, Mase said. In addition, the state temporarily halted indoor dining and drinking at restaurants, wineries and breweries in this county and a slew of others on the state's watchlist of areas struggling most to suppress the virus.

Given the escalating threat of the virus, Mase said, "your social bubble should really consist of your household members at this time."

Meanwhile, Monday there was a flurry of news about one industry sector, when California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced licensed barbers and cosmetologists -- whose businesses were shuttered last week in 33 counties during a sweeping round of closures intended to contain increase COVID-19 transmission -- would be permitted to move their operations outdoors.

A short time later, the state Department of Consumer Affairs issued clarification saying only hair cutting -- not shampooing, bleaching, straightening, coloring, electrolysis or any other process involving chemicals -- would be allowed.

Fred Jones, legal counsel for the Professional Beauty Federation of California, said it was almost as bad as a week ago, when Newsom said the state's 621,000 licensed barbers and cosmetologists would be allowed to practice their craft outdoors only to find out it was prohibited under their state license.

"We just experienced the same whiplash that we did just a week ago," Jones said. "This is just turning into a fiasco."

Jones and Santa Rosa salon owner Brauley McNulty said the larger point is cosmetologists and barbers have spent hundreds of hours learning and being tested on bloodborne pathogens, disinfection, cross-contamination and related subjects, then recently invested in barriers and protective gear, sanitization and separation, touchless customer payments and other requirements needed to reopen indoors for the few weeks before they were closed again last week.

Moving outside, amid neighboring restaurants and garbage, wind and dust, isn't at all sanitary, said McNulty, owner of Daredevils & Queens Salon in Santa Rosa'sRailroad Square, and it makes no sense to try to haul a $2,200 barber's chair in and out each day.

"Nor am I going to take my client into the 95-degree heat without shade, in a black drape with a mask on," she said.

Both she and Jones said it's an unappealing option to work outside.

"It's too hot," he said. "They don't have the space. Their insurance doesn't cover it. The master lease won't allow it. Our position is it's a hell of a lot safer to do it in an inside, controlled environment."

You can reach Staff Writer Mary Callahan at 707-521-5249 or mary.callahan@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MaryCallahanB.

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