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SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2020 • SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA • PRESSDEMOCRAT.COM
Leaders prepare for long haul
Sonoma County supervisors
reflect on response to virus
pandemic, area’s path forward
By TYLER SILVY
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
As he kept up with news of the coro-
navirus’s early spread across the globe
nearly seven months ago, Sonoma Coun-
ty Supervisor James Gore remembers a
sinking feeling washing over him.
The feeling of dread only grew in early
March after a conversation with a con-
gressman in Washington, D.C. Gore was
in the capital on county business when
he met with Rep. John Garamendi, the
TRACKING TRANSMISSION » Dozens of contact tracers work feverishly
to investigate, slow spread of coronavirus throughout Sonoma County
Breaking the chain
Antonio Vigil, 56, is a Sonoma County employee and started out as a contact tracer, but as the number of positive cases has surged, Vigil is
sometimes asked to pinch hit as a case investigator, interviewing the person with COVID, then following up with the contacts.
By AUSTIN MURPHY
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
E
arly in each phone call, Ann Bae-
chler offers a pre-emptive apology.
“I’m really going to get into your
business,” she explains to the perfect
stranger at the other end of the call. “So
the more you can tell me, the better.”
Thus begins the interrogation: Where
do you work? Who do you socialize with?
Did you have a barbecue on the Fourth of
July? Who attended? What are their phone
numbers?
Baechler, 74, is a public health nurse
who came out of retirement to volun-
teer as a COVID-19 case investigator and
contact tracer for the Sonoma County
Department of Health Services.
“I feel like the nursing equivalent of
Rosie the Riveter,” joked Baechler, one of
105 people now — 75 of them full-time —
doing this critical work in the county.
In the battle to break the chain of
coronavirus transmission, public health
officials have few tools more critical than
contact tracing. Case investigators identify
infected people, then develop a list of close
contacts who may have been exposed to
Virus transmission slows at some nursing homes
By MARTIN ESPINOZA
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Even as coronavirus deaths among Sono-
ma County senior care home residents con-
tinue to mount, there are signs monthslong
efforts to slow the spread of the virus at
skilled nursing centers are working.
For example, Broadway Villa Post Acute,
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Fairfield Democrat.
“I’ll never forget Congressman Ga-
ramendi looking at me and three other
county supervisors, and saying, ‘I just
got this briefing. This is going to be big,’”
Gore said.
In the ensuing weeks, pressure mount-
ed on local leaders as they confronted
what they say has been their greatest
test — managing the county’s response
to a historic pandemic and salvaging the
county’s battered economy.
Now, county supervisors are prepar-
ing to enter the sixth month of that fight,
grappling with the growing toll of a con-
tagion that has just entered its deadliest
TURN TO SUPERVISORS » PAGE A12
the virus. After notifying those individ-
uals, tracers work to help them solve the
problems created by that bad news.
As the county’s number of confirmed cas-
es surged this summer, so did the difficulty
of performing this vital detective work.
“We had a couple of really bad weeks
there, where hundreds of people were diag-
nosed,” said D’Arcy Richardson, the infec-
tious disease expert tasked with leading the
health department’s contact tracing efforts.
“We couldn’t get to everyone fast enough.”
the Sonoma skilled nursing home that
has experienced the largest outbreak, has
sharply reduced the number of residents
infected by COVID-19, its top administrator
has told their family members.
Meanwhile, a state public health strike
team of infection control experts that a
week ago came here to start helping nurs-
ing facilities reported finding substantial
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WINNER OF THE 2018 PULITZER PRIZE
Sonoma
County
Supervisor
James Gore,
like the rest of
his colleagues,
has been work-
ing from home
and attending
virtual Board
of Supervisors
meetings.
CHRISTOPHER CHUNG
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Trump
Donald Trump
seeks to
bypass
Congress
Unable to reach deal on
stimulus, president tries
to implement own plan
By JEFF STEIN
AND ERICA WERNER
WASHINGTON POST
WASHINGTON — President
Donald Trump on Saturday
attempted to bypass Congress
and make dramatic changes to
tax and spending policy, signing
executive actions that challenge
the boundaries of power that
separate the White House and
Capitol Hill.
At a press event in Bedmin-
ster, New Jersey, Trump said the
actions would provide economic
relief to millions of Americans
by deferring taxes and, he said,
ERIK CASTRO / FOR THE PRESS DEMOCRAT providing temporary unemploy-
ment benefits. The measures
would attempt
to wrestle away INSIDE
some of Con- Trump says he’ll
Jazmin Gudino
gress’s most slash tax that
of Santa Rosa
f u n d a m e n t a l , funds Social
is a contact
constitutionally Security / A2
tracer, helping
mandated pow-
to track the
ers — tax and spending policy.
coronavirus
Trump acknowledged some of
spread through
the actions could be challenged
the community.
in court but he predicted he
Gudino
would persevere.
graduated from
Trump bemoaned how Dem-
UC Berkeley
ocrats had refused to accept
this past spring.
his demands during the recent
KENT PRTER negotiations, but attempted to
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT brush it aside, saying four mea-
sures he signed Saturday “will
take care of pretty much this
entire situation.”
By the end of July, Richardson’s team had But there were instantly ques-
caught up, she said. “We’re back to almost tions about whether Trump’s
not having a backlog, so we can contact actions were as ironclad as he
people in a timely manner.” made them out to be. A leading
Most of their work is based on cases national expert on unemploy-
identified by the county’s public health lab, ment benefits said one of the
which was not impacted by glitches in the actions would not increase fed-
state’s coronavirus reporting system that eral unemployment benefits at
delayed the transmission of results from all. Instead, the expert said it
state labs to local public health officials. The would instead create a new pro-
gram that could take “months”
TURN TO TRACERS » PAGE A9 to set up. And Trump’s directive
to halt housing evictions pri-
marily calls for federal agencies
to “consider” if they should be
stopped.
Trump also mischaracter-
ized the legal stature of the
measures, referring to them
improvements in senior living sites’ man- as “bills.” Congress writes
agement of the virus and infection control and passes bills, not the White
measures, said county Health Officer Dr. House. The documents Trump
Sundari Mase. signed on Saturday were a com-
“I think since the beginning of ... the out- bination of memorandums and
breaks, absolutely, they have improved their an executive order.
infection control practices, no doubt about The White House and
TURN TO NURSING » PAGE A10 TURN TO TRUMP » PAGE A2
SANTA ROSA ©2020
High 86, Low 54 The Press
Democrat
THE WEATHER, C6
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT • SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2020 A9
TRACERS
CONTINUED FROM A1
problem has been resolved,
state officials announced
Friday, but the backlog
of unprocessed records
from state labs could slow
contract tracers’ ability to
identify people who have
been exposed to someone
carrying the virus over the
past two weeks.
Time is an enemy. As cas-
es mounted this summer,
wait times for test results
grew longer. Infected people
with no symptoms may not
isolate while they wait for
the results of a test. By the
time a case is confirmed,
that carrier may have al-
ready been walking around
for a week.
“We’re working count-
less hours tracking people
down,” said Baechler, “but
sometimes it feels like we’re
chasing a moving train.”
The job can be frustrating
and emotionally wrenching.
After calling a woman who’d
recently tested positive
for the virus, a tracer was
informed that the woman
had just died in the ICU.
“Her husband was there,
sobbing,” Richardson said.
Baechler and her fellow
tracers serve as sleuths,
counselors and educa-
tors. She was one of three
contact tracers who spoke
to The Press Democrat,
describing how and why the
work is, by turns, frustrat-
ing, stressful and deeply
rewarding.
Ideal COVID warrior
What do you do when
you graduate from college
into a world, and workforce,
crippled by a pandemic?
If you’re Jazmin Gudino,
you join the fight against
that invisible enemy.
After earning her degree
in political science from UC
Berkeley in May, Gudino
didn’t bother with the
university’s official Zoom
commencement. In a back-
yard ceremony, she and
some classmates donned
cardboard mortarboards
and received “diplomas”
— Photoshopped by a
roommate’s mother — from
a housemate posing as a
“dean.”
“It was pretty perfect,”
said Gudino, a bilingual
Elsie Allen High School
graduate who long ago
learned to be resourceful.
She is the youngest of Vidal
and Rosalina Gudino’s
10 children. Her parents im-
migrated from the Mexican
state of Michoacan. Jazmin
has been interpreting for
them since she was 8.
She is an ideal COVID
warrior. With the virus
taking a disproportionate
toll on the Latino commu-
nity, the need for bilingual
tracers is especially acute,
said Dr. Sundari Mase,
Sonoma County’s health
officer. Gudino was sent, it
seems, from central casting.
The 26-year-old has worked
as an interpreter in public
schools and as a medical
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interpreter, helping injured
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their doctors. Her father
“It’s stressful, but in an
exciting way. You know
you’re doing some good.”
is especially valuable as the
virus cuts a swath through
nursing homes and assisted
was a farmworker who then That is, if the contact living facilities.
moved into construction. will let you. One of his first Following the terrorist at-
Her life experiences, she case interviews was with a tacks of 9/11, Baechler got
believes, prepared her well 20-something young adult special training in biologi-
for the job of reaching out to who told Vigil they were cal warfare and pandemics
“mostly Spanish-speaking “not going to rat out my at the Centers For Disease
working-class people who friends or my family.” Control and Prevention in
sound like my own family Even after Vigil explained Atlanta.
members.” why it was important for “I’m finally getting to
Gudino cited a study, him to get those names, the use that training,” she said.
recently released by UCLA, person replied, “Doesn’t
ERIK CASTRO / FOR THE PRESS DEMOCRAT “This is everything I’ve
showing that Latino people Antonio Vigil works July 31 as a COVID-19 contact tracer. matter. I’m not going to tell prepared for.”
are “four to five times you anything.” Longer turnaround times
more likely to die from and asked if she needed any ing the person with COVID, for test results have made
coronavirus than their help, and she said, ‘Oh my then following up with the Called to duty the jobs of the contact trac-
non-Hispanic, white coun- God, get in here.’ ” contacts. Baechler, the nurse, is ers more difficult. Baechler
terparts,” she said. “That While the county’s coro- Before dialing the num- much better at investigating has been berated by con-
really hits home.” navirus curve was fairly ber, he reflects on what it cases and tracing contacts tacts after she’s asked them
She often talks to people flat throughout the spring, must be like “to be on the than she is at retiring. to remain in quarantine
who are conflicted between officials expected a jump in other side of that call.” She took a stab at retire- until the results of their
the need to quarantine and cases as the state reopened “If you have a compas- ment in 2010, but quickly tests come back.
break the chain of trans- and set about bringing in sionate bone in your body,” grew bored and took on She sympathizes with
mission and the need to new contact tracers. he said, “you understand work teaching and consult- them. “It’s a powder keg,”
go to work and provide for One place they looked that it’s scary to have been ing. In February her nursing she said. “People are scared.
their families. was “within our own exposed.” license was up for renewal. They’re frustrated. They’re
She learned of a group internal county staff,” said After informing the con- Baechler was on the fence tired of this lockdown.”
of workers at a vineyard Richardson, “people who tacts that they need to stay about spending the $125 it The result, sometimes,
“outside the county” — she could be reassigned from in quarantine, he asks how would cost to renew. is that the tracers end up
would not be more specific other departments.” he can support them during “I called my former boss apologizing for doing their
— who were supposed to be “Originally, this was that time. Contact tracers and said, ‘I hear on the jobs.
in isolation. But their em- going to be a three-week can help the contact get a news there’s something Though the county
ployer transported them to- assignment,” said Antonio work exclusion letter — a coming around the bend offered her a paid position,
gether to and from the fields, Vigil, a supervising employ- “doctor’s note” — inform- here. Should I renew my Baechler prefers to volun-
where their portable toilets ment and training coun- ing their employer that they license?’ She said yes, I teer. “It has so much more
lacked proper sanitation. selor for the county. “Then can’t work. should.” meaning to me if I’m volun-
After forwarding that it became a three-month He likens the job to “a Baechler joined the fight teering,” she said.
information to a supervisor, assignment.” crazy puzzle that keeps in March. “I felt the call to “It feels like the right
the Sonoma County health He started out as a you awake at night. You’re duty,” she said. In addi- thing to do.”
department alerted the contact tracer. But as the thinking: OK, who’s gotta tion to her certifications
neighboring county to the number of positive cases get tested? Who’s gonna be as a registered nurse and You can reach Staff Writer
situation. That made Gudi- has surged, Vigil is some- released tomorrow from public health nurse, she Austin Murphy at 707-521-
no happy, as does directing times asked to pinch hit as a quarantine? Did this person has a master’s degree in 5214 or austin.murphy@
contacts to resources for case investigator, interview- get the food they needed?” geriatrics — expertise that pressdemocrat.com.
food and medical care.
“Sometimes this is the only
medical attention they’ve
received in months,” she
said. “Or years.”
Despite the “compassion
fatigue” she feels at the
end of each day, Gudino is
pleased to be serving this
vulnerable population.
But she wants to do more,
which is why, at the end of
most eight-hour shifts, she’s
been studying law. Gudino
is taking the LSAT at the
end of the month. “I think I
may want to be a lawyer.”
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D’Arcy Richardson was
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Richardson is a public
health consultant who
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An expert in international
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DoorDash and Uber Eats.
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A10 THE PRESS DEMOCRAT • SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2020
3 more
county
deaths
reported
By ETHAN VARIAN
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Sonoma County public
health officials late Friday
night reported three more fa-
talities tied to COVID-19, in-
cluding the death of one man
who was a resident at a skilled
nursing facility.
That man, who was over 65,
died on Thursday at a hospi-
tal, according to Rohish Lal,
a spokesman for the county’s
Health Services Department.
Lal declined to identify the
nursing home or the hospital
Another man, who was be-
tween 49 and 64 years old, died
July 30 while hospitalized. Lal
said there was a delay in the
hospital reporting the death
to officials. It is unclear what
caused the delay, he said.
The third person, a women,
was over 65. She died Thursday
at a hospital.
All three patients had under-
lying health conditions, Lal said.
He declined to give any more in-
formation about the deaths.
To date, four local skilled
nursing homes have reported
fatalities, as required by the
California Department of Pub-
lic Health, which publishes the
data on its COVID-19 website
for skilled nursing homes.
There have now been 38 con-
firmed virus-related deaths at
senior care homes.
As of Saturday, the county
reported 3,556 confirmed coro-
navirus cases — of which 1,890
are active — and 47 deaths. A to-
tal of 45 county residents have
either tested positive or are sus-
pected to have contracted the
virus.
You can reach Staff Writer
Ethan Varian at 707-521-5412
or ethan.varian@pressdemo-
crat.com. On Twitter
@ethanvarian
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OUTBREAK IN NURSING HOMES
There are currently 21 licensed skilled nursing facilities in Sonoma County, though one is closing. They provide long-term care for patients suffering from chronic
illness and people with disabilities, and short-term care for people recovering from surgery and acute illness. Most have large senior populations. Facilities are
required to report COVID infections and deaths within 24 hours. State regulators do not publicly disclose specific numbers for facilities with 11 or fewer COVID infec-
tions or deaths. <11 indicates there has been at least one case at a facility and fewer than 11. Four facilities in the county have reported deaths among residents.
COVID COVID COVID
Facility name Beds deaths/residents infections/residents infections/staff
Broadway Villa Post Acute in Sonoma 144 2* 47 23
EmPres Post Acute Health and Rebabilitation in Petaluma 98 <11 43 14
Sonoma Post Acute 183 <11 26 11
Petaluma Post-Acute Rehab 90 <11 18 <17
* Broadway Villa official acknowledged 2 deaths; county and state records show resident death toll could be up to 8.
Source: California Department of Public Health; data as of Aug. 7
NURSING
CONTINUED FROM A1
that,” Mase said Friday, during a
press briefing.
Because the California De-
partment of Public Health pub-
lishes cumulative data on new
infections and deaths at senior
care homes and the administra-
tors of those sites declined to be
interviewed for this story, it’s
difficult to independently verify
if purported infection control
improvements are translating to
fewer new infections of residents
and staff.
Mase said the skilled nursing
centers, however, continue to
struggle trying to isolate resi-
dents diagnosed with COVID-19
or those exposed to it, because
residents often live three and
four in a room.
Tony Chicotel, a staff attorney
with California Advocates for ROBBI PENGELLY / SONOMA INDEX-TRIBUNE
Nursing Home Reform, agreed Harold Estes, left, and Robert Orr spend most of their days at Broadway Villa beautifying what used to be an
infection control efforts at nurs- untended strip of land that runs along the east side of the facility.
ing homes “probably have never
been better. The question is, is it and the others were in senior nursing center calls the area ues to receive hospice services.
enough?” residential care facilities. where COVID-19-infected resi- “To me, knowing that she’s in
Chicotel, whose organization What’s more, last week a dents are isolated. The facility a room out of isolation with a
has been tracking nursing home fourth county skilled nursing also has a “green zone” for res- garden view is just heartwarm-
cases and deaths across the center reported at least one fa- idents who have tested negative ing,” Fallon said, adding nursing
state, said the virus continues tality, according to state public and a “graduate zone” for those home staff now can spend more
to spread and claim the lives of health data. who have recovered from virus. time with her.
California’s most vulnerable res- While senior care home resi- Fallon, 60, of Santa Rosa said As of Friday, Broadway Villa
idents. dents comprise more than 80% Carley tested positive July 5 has reported to the state a to-
To be sure, nursing homes and of all coronavirus-related deaths and was in isolation for about a tal of 47 COVID-19 cases among
residential care facilities for the in the county, containment of the month, when her subsequent vi- its residents and 23 infections
elderly remain the deadly coro- infectious disease appears to be rus test came back negative. among its staff since the pan-
navirus epicenter in Sonoma improving among this vulnera- “I had no words, all I could say demic began in March. At least
County. County health officials ble elderly population, according was thank you and hang up,” Fal- two residents who died in June
confirmed Saturday another to Mase and nursing home ad- lon said, recounting the call from and as many as eight residents
skilled nursing center resident ministrators. Broadway Villa about Carley’s stricken with COVID-19 at the
has died. Of the 47 county res- improvement. “I did a FaceTime skilled nursing center have been
idents who died as of Saturday Out of the ‘red zone’ phone call with her Wednesday. I casualties of the virus. Broad-
from virus complications since Teresa Fallon’s 90-year-old could see her, she could see me. way Villa’s administrator Mike
the pandemic started in March, mother-in-law, Donabel Car- She’s very weak but she gave me Empey told a Press Democrat
38 had been residents of senior ley, on Tuesday made it out of a thumbs-up.” reporter on June 30 there were
care homes. Of those 38 people, Broadway Villa Post Acute’s “red Fallon said despite her moth-
26 had lived in nursing homes zone.” That’s what the skilled er-in-law’s progress, she contin- TURN TO NURSING » PAGE A11
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THE PRESS DEMOCRAT • SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2020
NURSING
CONTINUED FROM A10
two resident deaths related
to the virus. In late July,
based on an examination
of county and state public
health records, the news­
paper reported the deaths
of up to eight Broadway
Villa residents were linked
to COVID-19.
Senior care homes are
required to report new in­
fections and deaths to the
state public health depart­
ment, but exact numbers
of deaths and cases at each
nursing home are shield­
ed by the state for patient
privacy until the tallies of
deaths or infections reach
11 or more.
Broadway Villa’s Empey
did not respond to a re­
porter's email and phone
requests last week for in­
formation about the facili­
ty’s ongoing battle against
the coronavirus. But in
recent communications
with relatives of residents
at the nursing home, he de­
scribed improvements.
On Thursday, Empey
reported in a mass email
to “family members” that
state public health rep­
resentatives visited the
skilled nursing center in
the morning and reviewed
its infection control pro­
gram.
“We received very high
marks, and they were hap­
py to see the progress our
residents and staff have
made in recovery from this
recent outbreak," Empey
said, adding Broadway Vil­
la was given approval to
“further return our facil­
ity to a normal operating
status by removing more
of the residents from isola­
tion areas.”
Empey also said the
“red zone” section had two
“graduations” among res­
idents who no longer test­
ed positive for COVID-19,
“leaving only 7 residents
recovering there now.”
While it appears condi­
tions are improving or at
least stabilizing at some
nursing homes that have
been hit hard by the vi­
rus, the number of in-
the
Join us this summer for 2 more virtual concerts
A11
members for curtailing
BREAKING DOWN SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS
Technical problems with the state of California’s coronavirus
any further spread of the
virus.
data portal mean that some statistics have not been relayed “CDPH (California De­
to Sonoma County promptly. The issue was fixed Friday, but partment of Public Health)
health officials expect it will take several days to catch up. remains committed to as­
sisting and supporting all
1,890 47 3,556 skilled nursing facilities
Active cases Deaths 10/ in Sonoma County as they
as of Saturday as of Saturday continue to manage, pre­
Positive results vent, or recover from out­
75,381 1,619 71,825
breaks,” according to the
statement.
Tests finished Recovered
During her Friday press
as of Saturday as of Saturday (96%) briefing, Mase said one of
Negative results the strike team’s main ob­
servations was confirming
that it’s difficult to stop the
VIRUS CASES IN COUNTY BY AGE virus from spreading in
nursing homes when three
3% 12% 13% ROBBI PENGELLY / SONOMA INDEX-TRIBUNE
Broadway Villa Post-Acute in Sonoma has had 47 residents or four residents share a
Under 5 5-17 18-24 single room.
and 23 staff members who have been infected by COVID-19.
Still, as more residents
The nursing center is in Apple Valley uses per­ recover from viral symp­
38% 13% 9% restricting non-medically sonal protective equipment toms, she said further
25-44 45-54 55-64 necessary visits, screening properly and that staff is transmission of the virus
employees and residents ready to effectively isolate at some nursing homes
for virus symptoms and iso­ and quarantine and adheres seems to be waning.
lating residents who show in the strictest possible way “There is now a group
5% 6% 0% symptoms. to public health guidelines of recovered patients that
65-74 75 older Unknown “We are in regular com­ at work and at home. have pretty much been
munication with local and “Everybody is just as in­ through their infectious
state health authorities,” formed, so we’re all on the period and have recov­
VIRUS CASES IN COUNTY IN PAST WEEK
Kramer said in the state­ same page. It’s an entire ered,” Mase said. “That's
125 73 62 88 ment. “We will continue to
follow the guidance they
facility effort,” she said.
“What our staff does at
really positive.”
Chicotel, the attorney
New cases Friday Thursday Wednesday
have provided us for infec­ home, it all affects what we with California Advocates
Saturday
95 N/A 58 tion control to limit risk to
residents and staff.”
do at work.” for Nursing Home Reform,
acknowledged the infec­
Tuesday Monday Sunday The first case of COVID-19 State steps in to help tion control diligence at
in a Sonoma County skilled Mase said staff members nursing homes, but made
HOSPITALIZATION nursing home was discov­ at local nursing homes clear that work has not
ered in April, when county have accumulated more yet reversed the statewide
Currently hospitalized: 40 confirmed cases, 5 suspected cases;
public health surveillance knowledge through the negative trends of more
as of Friday
testing led to early identifi­ pandemic that has led to COVID-19 infections and
Total hospitalized during pandemic: 154 cation of two staff members the infection control im­ deaths.
infected at Apple Valley provements at many sites. “The numbers of nurs­
Sources: Sonoma County health department; state of California; Post-Acute Rehab in Sebas­ And she said the state’s ing home residents infect­
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Press Democrat reporting topol who had yet to show COVID-19 strike team has ed and dying have been
ONLINE: See more coronavirus-related data and charts at symptoms. visited all the county’s steady,” he said. “Every
pressdemocrat.com/coronavirus-numbers Staff, led by the nursing skilled nursing and senior day, we see twenty-some-
home’s infection preven- care homes currently ex­ thing die. It’s been pretty
tionist Kelly Phillips, re­ periencing large viral out­ consistent, and dozens of
fections is increasing at Sonoma Post Acute lead­ sponded quickly by imme­ breaks. new infections.
others and deaths are still ers did not respond to re­ diately removing employees State public health offi­ “I guess it could be worse,
occurring. quests for an interview. Dan and isolating them at home. cials declined to provide a but from my perspective, I
Kramer, president of KPA A battery of testing of all Press Democrat reporter don’t think we're winning
Another senior fatality Strategies public relations staff and residents was an interview with strike yet,” Chicotel said. “I think
Sonoma Post Acute, a firm and a spokesman for quickly conducted and fol­ team members for this sto­ most residents are still los­
skilled nursing home in the nursing home, respond­ lowed up with more testing. ry and only would respond ing against COVID-19. ...
Sonoma, on Monday re­ ed to a reporter’s questions Phillips, a licensed voca­ to questions through an Infection control is real­
ported to state public health with an emailed statement. tional nurse, said there’s emailed statement. ly about good habits, and
officials at least one of its Kramer said in response been constant communica­ State officials said in the good habits are hard to de­
residents had died from the to the pandemic, the facility tion with local public health statement that the team of velop in a short period of
coronavirus. At the time, has bolstered its infection officials. The results: None infection control experts time.”
Sonoma Post Acute report­ control efforts, followed pro­ of the nursing home resi­ was deployed to Sonoma
ed that it had 23 residents cedures established by the dents have contracted the County senior care facil­ You can reach Staff Writer
afflicted with the virus. On federal Centers for Disease pandemic disease and no ities to assess operations, Martin Espinoza at 707-
Friday, the latest data avail­ Control and Prevention and additional cases among staff patient safety and infec­ 521-5213 or martin.espino-
able, it reported 26 infec­ the Centers for Medicaid & have surfaced. tion control measures, and za @pressdemocrat. corn.
tions. Medicare. Phillips ensures everyone to provide guidance to staff On Twitter @pressreno.
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