Dozens of COVID-19 cases and one death among Kaiser Permanente employees in San Jose are linked to an inflatable costume worn by a staff at Christmas.
Irene Chavez, senior vice president and area manager at San Jose Medical Center, said Sunday that 44 emergency room staff members have tested positive for the virus since Dec. 27.
According to Tuesday night, the number rose to 51, according to a report by KRON4 in San Francisco.
The Kaiser Permanent San Jose Medical Center is on display in San Jose, California.
(Bay Area News Group via AP)
The Oakland hospital chain is investigating the outbreak and said the source may be an inflated holiday costume worn by a staff member who ‘briefly’ visited the department on December 25, according to his statement.
Inflatable costumes usually rely on fans working through batteries to suck air into the costumes to retain their shape. COVID-19 spreads through droplets in the air, and therefore investigators are investigating the air circulation function of the fan.
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“Any exposure, if it had taken place, would have been completely innocent and accidental, as the individual had no COVID symptoms and was only trying to raise the spirits of those around them during a very stressful time,” Chavez said. said and added that the holiday costume was not pre-approved by Kaiser.
“It is clear that we no longer allow air-powered costumes at our facilities. At the same time, we are taking steps to strengthen the precautions among staff, including physical distance and no gathering in room, no sharing of food or drink and masks. she said.
Hilary Costa, a spokeswoman for Kaiser Permanente, said she did not know what kind of costume the person was wearing. KNBC-TV on NBC in San Jose reported on Sunday that the costume was a Christmas tree.
Kaiser did not want to identify the employee who died from COVID-19 complications.
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The emergency department is open and is being cleaned deep, Chavez said. Nearly 40,000 health workers from Kaiser Permanente in Northern California have already received COVID-19 vaccinations, she said.
Associated Press contributed to this report.