TONASKET, Wash. — Twelve long-term care residents have died since Nov. 18 after a coronavirus outbreak at a skilled nursing facility in Okanogan County.
As of Tuesday, 32 residents at North Valley Extended Care in Tonasket have tested positive, according to Okanogan County Public Health. The facility has 42 total beds, according to the hospital’s website.
Two care facility employees are also hospitalized with COVID-19, and multiple caregivers are under quarantine, according to the health department.
"It just takes one," said North Valley Hospital CEO John McReynolds. "And this is really, very painfully evident how damaging the virus can be among this population group."
The facility identified a positive case during surveillance testing, and the cases went up after that.
Okanogan County Public Health says the facility underwent an Infection Prevention Survey after the outbreak and is managing the situation “safely and professionally.”
The 12 COVID-19 deaths at the care facility are the first reported in Tonasket since the start of the pandemic, according to data from Okanogan County Public Health.
Okanogan County has recorded 26 coronavirus deaths since March. However, the most recent North Valley death will not be included in the coronavirus death count until the cause of death is verified on the death certificate, according to the health department.
Okanogan County Public Health urged the county to be vigilant with mask wearing, hand washing and social distancing to protect the most vulnerable members of society.