Patient At Rancho Mirage Nursing Facility Infected With COVID-19

COACHELLA VALLEY, CA — A patient from a Rancho Mirage skilled nursing home has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) and Riverside County health officials are preparing to test employees and other residents at the 99-bed facility, it was announced Friday evening.

The individual is now being treated at a hospital in Coachella Valley and no information about the patient is being released by officials. The individual spent several days in the Rancho Mirage Health and Rehabilitation Center before being transferred to the hospital.

Riverside County health officials plan to test each patient and employee at Rancho Mirage Health and Rehabilitation Center as soon as possible, according to Dr. Cameron Kaiser, Riverside County public health officer.

If an individual does test positive, they will be promptly isolated and medically evaluated, and transported safely to a hospital if they are severely ill. The source of the infection is under investigation, according to Kaiser.

“Quick action is required when we are dealing with a vulnerable population like this,” said Kaiser, who recently declared a public health emergency after officials announced the county’s first COVID-19 case. “By testing immediately, we can learn whether the illness has spread to others and take appropriate action.”

Staci Trang, risk management representative at Rancho Mirage Health and Rehabilitation Center, wished the patient a full recovery, and added, “Our top priority is the health, well-being and safety of our patients and employees. As such, we are following all CDC precautions and recommendations.”

In Washington state, the COVID-19 outbreak has sickened hundreds and killed more than two dozen. Many of those deaths were among residents from senior homes.

As of Friday evening, Riverside County had 12 confirmed COVID-19 cases – 10 in Coachella Valley and two cruise ship passengers who have not returned to the region since being diagnosed.

Kaiser has recommended seniors and those with underlying health issues in Coachella Valley limit non-essential travel. One of the Coachella Valley cases is considered “community spread,” meaning health investigators have not determined the source of the infection.

Kaiser on Thursday ordered the cancellation of public gatherings of 250 people or more in Riverside County as a means of slowing the spread of coronavirus and Friday ordered the closure of county schools through April 3.

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