Hundred-plus Covid infections at county long-term care facilities

Nine people have died of COVID-19 at one Grant County nursing home, and two other long-term care facilities tallied 108 infections among residents and staff, Grant County Health said Friday.

GCHD said cases at two long term care facilities, one in Moses Lake and one in Ephrata, are linked to a recent large wedding event held in Ritzville.

"It is important to note that mass gathering events where COVID is spread will quickly spread into the community and risks the safety of our most vulnerable residents," a press release from GCHD said.

The Ritzville wedding involved Grant County residents.

District Administrator Theresa Adkinson said the wedding event, with over 300 participants, has not been linked to the outbreak at McKay Healthcare & Rehab Center in Soap Lake.

Nine deaths were reported there Friday, with five so far confirmed with death certificates. That outbreak saw about 30 residents and staff infected and brought in a state "Isolation and Quarantine Strike Team from Department of Health" to assist McKay with additional precautions to be taken to reduce the spread of the virus to other residents or staff, GCDH said.

McKay has remained open to the residents who tested negative. Those who tested COVID positive were sent to the Pasco COVID facility and will be returning to McKay later this month. 

The confirmed deaths include those of a woman in her 60s, one in her 80s, another in her 90s, and one man in his 80s. Another death previously reported was of a woman in her 80s.

GCDH does not add deaths to the Covid death count until it's on an official death certificate.

Lake Ridge Center is a 74-bed skilled nursing facility in Moses Lake specializing in the care of residents with Alzheimer's or other related dementias. Columbia Crest is a skilled nursing long-term care facility.

GCHD has been notified that Lake Ridge has had 49 residents and 12 staff members test positive for COVID-19.  Columbia Crest has had 25 residents and 22 staff members test positive for COVID-19. The residents are being cared for onsite and with one resident hospitalized. Both facilities continue to be in constant communication with GCHD and have received consultation from the Dept of Health Isolation and Quarantine team, Adkinson said.