Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 5 March 2020
Feds investigate nursing home as U.S. death toll hits 11

By GENE JOHNSON, RA- Health officials in North
CHEL LA CORTE and MAR- Carolina reported that a
THA BELLISLE person from Wake County
SEATTLE (AP) — The U.S. tested positive for the illness
death toll from the coro- after visiting the nursing
navirus climbed to 11 on home. The patient's flight
Wednesday with a patient from the Seattle area to
succumbing in California the Raleigh-Durham airport
— the first reported fatality raised fears other passen-
outside Washington state gers were exposed to the
— as federal authorities an- virus.
nounced an investigation "My understanding is we
of the Seattle-area nursing have the manifest. Now
home where most of the the trick is to go find them,"
victims were stricken. said Robert Redfield of the
Officials in California's Plac- CDC.
er County, near Sacramen- Life Care Center said on its
to, said an elderly person website that it is screening
who tested positive after employees for symptoms
returning from a San Fran- before they start work and
cisco-to-Mexico cruise had as they leave. The nursing
died. The victim had under- home is prohibiting visits
lying health problems, au- Three commuters, center, wear masks as they walk through the World Trade Center transportation from residents' family mem-
thorities said. hub, Wednesday, March 4, 2020, in New York. bers.
Washington also an- Associated Press Shortly before the Califor-
nounced another death, nia death was announced,
bringing its total to 10. Most to do so. and other items related to businesses to allow employ- Princess Cruise Lines noti-
of those who died were res- "We have encouraged the event but will have to ees to work remotely if pos- fied passengers of its Grand
idents of Life Care Center, people who are respon- skip it because she has a sible, and the county said Princess that federal health
a nursing home in Kirkland, sible for large gatherings to compromised immune sys- it will allow telecommuting officials are investigating
a suburb east of Seattle. At give consideration whether tem. for some of its workers for a "small cluster" of coro-
least 39 cases have been it really makes sense to car- "There's a lot of people the next three weeks. navirus cases connected
reported in the Seattle ry those on right now," Gov. who are talking about the The Fred Hutchinson Can- to the ship's mid-February
area, where researchers Jay Inslee said. "Right now, economic cost of people cer Research Center in Se- voyage. It asked current
say the virus may have we are deferring to the forced to pull out of Comic attle announced it is can- passengers to stay in their
been circulating undetect- judgment ... of these orga- Con, but if we have an ex- celing events at the com- cabins until were cleared
ed for weeks. nizations." plosion of cases of corona- plex and requiring non- by medical staff and said
Seema Verma, head of the While some individual virus, the economic cost is essential staff to work re- those who had been on
federal Centers for Medi- schools and businesses going to be much higher," motely at least through the the previous voyage should
care and Medicaid Servic- have shut down, the gover- Hayles said. end of the month to lessen contact their doctor if they
es, said the agency is send- nor said large-scale school Comic Con's organizer, the chance of infection develop fever or other
ing inspectors to Life Care closings have not been or- Reedpop, announced among patients with weak- symptoms.
along with experts from dered because "there are Wednesday that it would ened immune systems. The Grand Princess is at
the Centers for Disease so many ramifications for make an exception to its School officials in Rent- sea off Mexico and will re-
Control and Prevention to families and businesses," no-refunds policy for those on, south of Seattle, an- turn early to San Francisco,
figure out what happened especially for health care who want their money nounced that Hazen High where CDC and company
and determine whether workers who might not back, but said it remained School will close for the rest officials will meet to deter-
the nursing home followed be able to go to work be- committed to holding the of the week after a student mine the course of action,
guidelines for preventing cause of child care respon- event unless local, state tested positive for the coro- the cruise line said.
infections. sibilities. or federal officials change navirus. Online petitions In Los Angeles, a contract
Last April, the state fined Local and state health of- their guidance. urged officials to close oth- medical worker who was
Life Care $67,000 over in- ficials have not recom- Lakshmi Unni said that she er schools on Seattle's east conducting screenings at
fection-control deficiencies mended school closings was keeping her son, an side. the city's main airport has
following two flu outbreaks unless the schools have eighth-grader at Redmond The F5 technology compa- tested positive for the virus.
that affected 17 patients had a confirmed case of Middle School in Seattle's ny closed its 44-story tower The person wore protective
and staff. An unannounced the disease. eastern suburbs, home in downtown Seattle after equipment while on the job
follow-up inspection in Jennifer Hayles, 41, of Kirk- on Wednesday and that learning an employee had so it was unclear how the
June determined that Life land, said she was appalled she had urged the school been in contact with some- worker contracted the vi-
Care had corrected the that Inslee and health of- board and principal to one who tested positive for rus, Homeland Security of-
problems, Verma said. ficials haven't canceled close. the virus. Outdoor recre- ficials said.
Meanwhile, public officials next week's Emerald City "Yesterday at least three ation giant REI shut down its In New York, health officials
in Washington came under Comic Con. The four-day kids were coughing," Unni Seattle-area operations for put hundreds of residents in
pressure to take more ag- cosplay and pop-culture said. "We don't know if they two days as a precaution. self-quarantine after mem-
gressive steps against the event draws close to were sick with the virus, but A federal immigration field bers of two families in the
outbreak, including clos- 100,000 people each year, if they do become sick, the office near Tukwila also New York City suburb of
ing schools and cancel- and some participants, in- chances of spreading are closed after an employee New Rochelle were diag-
ing large events. While the cluding D.C. Comics and very, very high." visited the Kirkland nursing nosed with the virus. Gov.
state and Seattle have de- Penguin Random House, Some schools, businesses home. Acting Homeland Andrew Cuomo said the
clared emergencies, giv- have pulled out over the and other employers aren't Security Secretary Chad disease appeared to have
ing leaders broad powers virus. waiting. Wolf said the move was a spread from a lawyer to his
to suspend activities, they Hayles said she spent hun- Seattle and King County precaution and the place wife, two children, a neigh-
have not issued any orders dreds of dollars on tickets public health officials urged will remain shut for 14 days. bor and two others. q