21 out of 49 current Life Care residents in Kirkland show COVID-19 infection

Twelve people have tested negative for the virus, 12 tests are pending and four have been found inconclusive.

By Blake Peterson • March 10, 2020 2:10 pm
Life Care public information liaison Tim Killian at a March 10 press conference. Screenshot from livestream
Life Care public information liaison Tim Killian at a March 10 press conference. Screenshot from livestream

Tim Killian, a public information liaison for the Life Care Center, provided a new update on COVID-19 (coronavirus) numbers, protocols and more to the press on March 10 at about 1 p.m. as part of a series of daily briefings conducted in front of the facility.

Killian shared that currently, out of the 120 residents affiliated with the center between Feb. 19 (the day the first Life Care resident who was later found to have coronavirus was transferred to a hospital) and now, 63 have been transferred to nearby hospitals, which is an increase of four from March 9.

As of Tuesday, there are no new deaths associated with Life Care of Kirkland.

There are currently 49 residents at the center. Test results show that 21 of them have a coronavirus infection. There are 12 negatives, 12 pending tests and four inconclusive.

Those who have tested negative are being moved to a different wing in the facility.

Regarding employee testing, which has been a major point of concern, Killian said coordination to test them off site is now happening. He was unsure at the time of the briefing whether employees would be tested at the same site or a mixture.

Killian also revised the number of employees who returned to work from Monday, which he then said was five. In actuality, two have returned to work, with three others deemed healthy in the process of being cleared by the Department of Health. He said that employees first have to be approved to go back to work by the department before returning to the facility.

Killian clarified that on Feb. 29, when coronavirus inside the facility had been confirmed, the center reached out to every resident’s primary contact to update them.

At 3 p.m. March 10, there will be a full site cleaning of the Life Care Center in Kirkland by SERVPRO. Killian said that SERVPRO employees will be wearing full gear not because of the coronavirus but because of their in-place cleaning protocols.

Killian said that the center is still waiting to hear postmortem test results.

The next briefing from Killian is scheduled for 1 p.m. March 11. The briefings will continue for as long as the center sees it necessary, Killian has said.