Two cases of coronavirus confirmed in Glendale
UPDATE: There are now two confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Glendale, according to a report released on Monday afternoon by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. There are at least 140 cases confirmed within Los Angeles County.
USC Verdugo Hills Hospital in Glendale hospital admitted its first patient to test positive for the novel coronavirus.
It’s the first confirmed case of the virus that causes COVID-19 in Glendale. Neighboring Pasadena reported its first case last week.
Keith Hobbs, chief executive of USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, where the patient is currently in isolation, announced the positive test to hospital staff this morning
“From the moment the patient came to the hospital, our staff followed protocol to ensure their safety and the safety of their colleagues and other patients,” Hobbs said in an email to staff.
According to Hobbs, the patient is doing well and the hospital is working with local health authorities on what steps to take next.
Due to health-privacy concerns, limited information about the patient is being released, according to Hobbs.
Hospital declined to provide details about the patient, including age and health status, a day after it announced the case.
“USC Verdugo Hills Hospital is committed to transparency balanced with our patients’ right to privacy,” said Dr. Armand Dorian, chief medical officer at the hospital.
“We are working closely with local health officials to investigate who may be at risk for infection, and notifying any high-risk individuals to self-isolate at this time,” he added.
Los Angeles County has reported 140 cases and the state total is now at least 470, according to health officials. The virus has claimed 11 lives within the state.
L.A. County’s Department of Public Health is the lead agency managing the testing and known cases of the virus.
Local agencies are only notified and/or permitted to release public information of a positive test if there is known public exposure, if an event needs to be canceled or a facility closed, Glendale city spokeswoman Eliza Papazian said in a statement last week.
It’s up to individual hospitals to decide whether or not to release information about confirmed cases at their facilities, Glendale City Manager Yasmin Beers said during an emergency council meeting today.
Glendale Adventist would not confirm or deny positive cases, according to spokeswoman Alicia Gonzalez.
Officials at Dignity Health-Glendale Memorial Hospital declined to comment beyond a statement from last week saying that the hospital was prepared to identify, isolate and treat potential patients with the virus.