Coronavirus: Nursing Home Illness Cluster Found In WilCo

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — County health officials on Saturday confirmed the first cluster of the new coronavirus illness in a nursing home facility where 46 cases of the respiratory ailment were found.

As a result of the finding, Williamson County and Cities Health District officials said updated control orders were issued on Saturday to 65 facilities — including those centered on assisted living, nursing homes, skilled nursing and long-term care sites. The health authority previously sent control orders to 43 facilities on March 16, officials noted.

The updated control orders stipulate that if there is a confirmed case of coronavirus in a facility, all patients, staff and next of kin must be notified. Additionally, in the event of a cluster at a facility involving two or more patients, the facility:

• will be restricted from receiving any new patients into the facility or any returning patients to the facility until the facility has been cleared by the Williamson County and Cities Health District.
• will be required to make available for testing, if requested, all clinical staff, non-clinical staff, and contractors.
• a “strike team” of additional personnel and equipment may be deployed to supplement staffing at your facility until the facility outbreak is controlled as determined by Williamson County and Cities Health District officials.

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Officials said an investigation into the cluster is ongoing, adding that Williamson County and Cities Health District offiicals are working closely with the facility to mitigate the spread among residents and staff. To date, officilals said, this is the first cluster at a nursing home with 46 confirmed cases of staff and residents.

Related stories:

• Coronavirus: WilCo Count Grows To 211, 6 Deaths
• Coronavirus: WilCo Illness Count Exceeds 200, 24 New Cases Seen

“Our top priority, from the beginning, has been to protect our most vulnerable residents,” Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell said in a prepared statement. “We are putting all of the resources we have available into isolating this cluster so that no others will be infected.”

Added Dr. Lori Palazzo, Williamson County and Cities Health District Health Authority: “It was truly a partnership to be able to immediately take action to test all patients and staff. We appreciate the support from the nursing home staff, Williamson County EMS, Sheriff’s Office and others."

The revelation comes one day after the county saw its biggest single-day jump in confirmed coronavirus cases, with an increase of 24. On Friday, health officials confirmed five more cases were diagnosed and a sixth person died of the illness.

The daily case count is available on the COVID-19 dashboard that is updated each day shortly after noon at http://www.wcchd.org/COVID-19/dashboard.php. The Epi Curve on the dashboard shows the date of the onset of the disease and not the date reported, health offiicials noted.