Dozens of residents and staff members at an assisted senior living facility in Napa have tested positive for the coronavirus even as the facility has begun vaccinations.
Brookdale Napa had confirmed at least 19 active cases of the virus among residents and five among staff as of Sunday, according to data from Napa County and the California Department of Social Services, which oversees residential care facilities for older adults.
But the Napa Valley Register reported Thursday it had obtained emails from Brookdale to residents' families referring to at least 29 cases as of Feb. 9. A family member of a resident who wished to remain anonymous told the Register that on Feb. 10 the facility cited 41 cases among residents and eight among staff during a Zoom call. The facility houses 75 residents, according to the paper.
The cases come less than a month after some residents and staff at the facility received their first of two coronavirus vaccine doses through a federal pharmacy partnership with CVS Health.
Brookdale Senior Living, which operates more than 700 retirement communities and assisted living facilities in the U.S., said in a statement that it was "taking the COVID-19 situation extremely seriously," adding that safety is the company's "top priority."
"We are diligently monitoring our residents and associates for signs and symptoms, and we continue to work directly with local health officials to help ensure our residents and associates have the appropriate and necessary medical support," the company said.
Brookdale Napa is one of about 50 assisted living, senior care and skilled nursing facilities in the county, according to a Napa County spokeswoman. As of Feb. 1, outbreaks had been confirmed at 13 of them.
Brookdale's outbreak is the largest among assisted living facilities, however, and county public health officials have not projected it to end until Feb. 24.
County officials and Brookdale declined to speculate on the origin of the outbreak, but a spokesperson for CVS Health confirmed that none of its vaccine administrators have tested positive after holding a vaccine clinic at the facility last month.
Brookdale said it has and continues to follow health and safety guidance from local and state health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"We have detailed protocols and plans in place to respond to this situation, prioritizing the health and wellness of our residents," the company said.
As of Tuesday, 8,689 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Napa County, including 59 deaths.
— Bay City News and KQED News