Watsonville Nursing Facility Outbreak: 61 Sickened, 9 Dead

WATSONVILLE, CA — Nearly two-thirds of the residents at skilled nursing facility Watsonville Post-Acute Center have tested been sickened by the coronavirus, according to the county.

Nine deaths at the facility are linked to COVID-19, the county said Wednesday in a news release.

Forty-six residents and 15 staff members have tested positive for the virus. The county previously said there are a total of 73 residents at the facility.

Watsonville Post-Acute Center is working with public health officials at the county and California Department of Public Health. The California National Guard has been helping out at the facility, which is seriously understaffed, the county previously said.

State public health officials have conducted multiple site visits to provide recommendations and the county is in contact with the center daily to review protocols, according to the news release.

Overall, the number of new cases in Santa Cruz County is on the decline, the county said.

There have been 2,535 COVID-19 cases reported in Santa Cruz County as of Wednesday afternoon.