Two Dycora skilled nursing facilities work to prevent spread of COVID-19

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- About a week ago, Dycora Transitional Health & Living Manchester in Central Fresno learned a resident tested positive for COVID-19 at a local hospital.

"We immediately contacted our Fresno County Public Health Department and started partnering with them on contact tracing in our center, which is taking a look at where that person was while they were with us, and ensuring that we could isolate our current residents and staff members appropriately so that we could stop the spread in the center," said Dycora Vice President of Operations Tara Raymond.

Raymond says all residents at the skilled nursing facility have since been tested.

Ten other residents have tested positive, and about 20 results are still pending.

Additionally, three residents and four employees have tested positive at a sister facility in Downtown Fresno.

To prevent further spread of the virus, Raymond says the facilities are separating residents into different units: one for COVID-19 positive patients, another for presumed positive patients, and another for residents who have tested negative and aren't showing any symptoms.

"We are using full protective equipment in all three units right now until we get all results back," Raymond said. "So we're treating the entire facility as if it is positive right now."

The company says restricting visitors and limiting the travel of staff from one Dycora facility to another has also been a key containment measure (there are five other Dycora skilled nursing facilities in Fresno County).

Raymond says nursing homes need the public's support right now, and their employees deserve to be treated as heroes.

"From our CNA's who are on the front lines dealing with the patients very closely to our nurses to all of those in the supporting roles in the kitchen as well as in our housekeeping team, they've been amazing and fearless as we go through this virus," Raymond said.

In the South Valley, Tulare County health officials reported that a resident at Lindsay Gardens Nursing & Rehabilitation died of COVID-19-the facility's first death.

RELATED: Lindsay Gardens nursing center resident dies from COVID-19, health officials say

Twenty-four people have also died from the disease at Redwood Springs Healthcare Center in Visalia.

RELATED: Visalia nursing home reaches 24 total deaths from COVID-19; 174 test positive for virus

There are now 268 confirmed cases of COVID-19 at South Valley nursing homes.

For more news coverage on the coronavirus and COVID-19 go to ABC30.com/coronavirus