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Twelve elderly residents of a nursing facility in Yucaipa tested positive for COVID-19 today and a resident of a second nursing facility in Mentone is presenting symptoms of the disease. County Public Health professionals are working closely with both facilities to expedite the immediate testing of all residents and employees of both facilities.

An 89-year-old woman with underlying health issues who had contracted COVID-19 and died from the illness on Thursday was a resident of the facility at which the 12 residents tested positive today.

“This is the first instance we have had in our county of a concentrated COVID-19 outbreak,” said Acting County Health Officer Dr. Erin Gustafson. “The county will do everything within its ability and authority to minimize the tragedy this pandemic has the potential to create in our communities.”

“This outbreak a signal to anyone in the county who is not taking this pandemic seriously and is resisting complying with public health orders and guidelines that the threat of COVID-19 is very real,” Dr. Gustafson said. “Staying at home, minimizing non-essential contact with others, maintaining social distancing from even people we know and with whom we have regular contact, and consistently practicing good hygiene is our best hope of making forward the other side of this pandemic.”

The County Department of Public Health is gearing up to begin reporting the number of cases within each of the county’s 24 incorporated cities and towns as soon as Monday on the department’s COVID-19 public information dashboard, which can be found at wp.sbcounty.gov/dph/coronavirus.

For information about the coronavirus crisis, visit the County’s coronavirus website at wp.sbcounty.gov/dph/coronavirus. New information and resources have been added and the site is being updated daily. The public can also contact the coronavirus public information line from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday at (909) 387-3911, or email the County at coronavirus@dph.sbcounty.gov.