Worker at Redondo Beach assisted-living facility has coronavirus; two residents are sick

A staff member who had “flu-like symptoms” at a Redondo Beach assisted-living community has been diagnosed with the coronavirus, and two residents were hospitalized “with fever and respiratory symptoms,” the company that runs the facility confirmed Tuesday.

A statement from the Kensington Redondo Beach assisted-living community said the staff member reported symptoms on March 6 and was sent home. The employee has since been hospitalized, placed on paid medical leave “and will not return to the community until after they have been cleared by a doctor,” the facility said.

The two residents who were hospitalized have not been confirmed with a diagnosis, and the statement said no other residents were showing any symptoms. The supervisor of the employee diagnosed with coronavirus was also displaying “flu-like” symptoms and has been instructed to self-quarantine and refrain from returning to work for at least 14 days, the statement said.

Administrators are developing a list of all residents and employees who were in contact with the diagnosed employee. Meanwhile, all staff are being tested for fevers upon arrival each day, and the sites where the employee worked are undergoing a deep cleaning, the statement said.

“We have asked families not to visit or take residents out into the community,” said Robert May, executive director of the Kensington Redondo Beach. “We have canceled off-campus doctor’s appointments for residents unless they are urgent. Our teams are getting creative and setting up virtual ways for residents and family members to connect in lieu of in-person visits. They can arrange for these virtual visits through Facetime or video chats.”

Last week, an elderly patient in a northern California assisted-living facility died of the coronavirus, sparking fears of an outbreak among other residents of the facility and renewing concerns about statewide availability of testing kits to detect the virus.