Deaths reported at Pierce County veterans home amid COVID-19 outbreak
Two residents of the Washington Soldiers Home in Orting died from COVID-19 on Jan. 2 and Jan. 3, according to a statement from the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs.
Both residents tested positive for COVID-19 during routine weekly testing in December.
The Soldiers Home previously announced an outbreak of the virus began around Dec. 3, and at least six residents were hospitalized.
On Monday, the WSDVA announced four residents and three staff members at the Orting facility had tested positive for the virus, bringing the total number of cases there to 37 residents and 20 staff members.
One resident and one staff member at the Washington Veterans Home in Port Orchard also tested positive for COVID-19 Monday, bringing the total case count at the facility to 13.
Residents of the Washington Veterans Home will be tested every five to seven days until the facility has gone 14 days without a positive case of the virus, according to a statement released by WSDVA. The WSDVA said that staff members at both the Veteran’s and Soldier’s homes are tested once per week, as required by state and local authorities.
Both the Soldiers Home and the Veterans Home are operated by the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs. The Soldiers Home in Orting houses 128 veterans, and 240 veterans live at the Port Orchard Veterans Home.
On Dec. 30, 286 residents and staff members at the Port Orchard facility received a COVID-19 vaccine at a temporary clinic operated by Walgreens. The WSDVA expects to have a second round of residents and staff at the Veterans Home to receive the vaccine on Jan. 20.
The Soldiers Home will conduct a vaccine clinic for its staff and residents Thursday, Jan. 7.
This story was originally published January 6, 2021 at 10:22 AM.
