Twelve residents of a Yucaipa nursing facility where a woman died from the coronavirus tested positive for the disease Saturday in San Bernardino County’s first instance of a concentrated outbreak.
The woman, an 89-year-old who had underlying health issues, died on Thursday. In Mentone, a city less than 10 miles away from Yucaipa, a resident at another nursing facility was also showing symptoms of COVID-19. County health officials said they were seeking to expedite testing of residents and employees at both locations.
"This outbreak is a signal to anyone in the county who is not taking this pandemic seriously and is resisting complying with public health orders and guidelines that the threat of COVID-19 is very real," said Dr. Erin Gustafson, the county’s acting health officer.
"Staying at home, minimizing nonessential contact with others, maintaining social distancing from even people we know and with whom we have regular contact, and consistently practicing good hygiene is our best hope of making forward the other side of this pandemic."
The San Bernardino Department of Public Health is preparing to report the number of coronavirus cases in each of the county’s 24 cities, officials said, releasing the results on its website as soon as Monday.
More information about the presence of the disease in San Bernardino County can be found on the same page. Community members can also find information by calling the public information line from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday at (909) 387-3911 or emailing the county at coronavirus@dph.sbcounty.gov.
