Riverside facility reports staff COVID/flu absences but no resident cases, officials say

County officials reported staffing shortages at the Riverside facility but said residents have not tested positive for COVID-19 or influenza. Speaker 2 told the meeting "we've had about, 10 staff members" off over the last month with COVID or flu but emphasized "not 1 resident" tested positive.

Speaker 2 described the facility's testing protocol: if a staff member tests positive and residents show no symptoms, the unit is tested 48 hours after the staff positive result and again 48 hours later to confirm there has been no spread. "We tested Sunday morning... and we tested Tuesday and nothing on the unit," Speaker 2 said.

On vaccination, Speaker 2 said Riverside's records show the facility is "over 94 percent on the COVID vaccine and over 95 percent on the flu vaccine," attributing strong staff and resident uptake as an important factor in preventing spread.

Commissioners commended facility staff for maintaining resident safety through testing and vaccination efforts. County staff will continue to monitor staffing, testing outcomes and the facility's vaccination status.