Two additional Kona Community Hospital employees have tested positive for COVID-19, the hospital said Wednesday.
The new positive cases bring the hospital’s total number of infected employees to three, according to hospital spokeswoman Judy Donovan. All of the employees who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus are quarantined at home.
The hospital said it will hold an on-site COVID-19 testing clinic to test all staff for potential COVID-19 exposure today.
“Testing is mandatory for KCH and affiliated employees, physicians and any contractors working in the hospital. This testing is not open to the public,” a statement from Donovan reads.
Hospital leaders and the KCH infection prevention department contacted Dr. Scott Miscovich of the Premier Medical Group Hawaii to help conduct the pop-up testing site for staff. The hospital said broad-scale testing of all staff is “a proactive measure to provide an immediate, accurate snapshot of personnel who may be potentially exposed to the COVID-19 virus.”
A secondary testing date is being coordinated for later in the weekend to accommodate screening of hospital families and ohana, hospital visitors and discharged patients who may be concerned about potential exposure while at the hospital.
“No one is exempt. We’re conducting testing on all employees because it the right thing to do. It is the best way to ensure the safety of our staff, our patients and our community,” said acting CEO Jay Kreuzer.
Also Wednesday, Ka’u Hospital and Rural Health Clinic Administrator Merilyn Harris said a traveling doctor who worked briefly at the facility tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month.
The doctor had worked at the facility’s rural health clinic for two days and tested positive on July 6 after not feeling well, Harris said.
As soon as the results were in, Harris said the state Department of Health was notified, and administrators began identifying people the doctor might have had contact with.
According to Harris, the doctor was in contact with 11 patients over the two days at the clinic, but both the doctor and patients were wearing masks as required in the facility.
Harris said the names of other employees who had contact with the doctor also were reported to the DOH.
All exposed clinic employees were tested five days after the potential exposure, and all tests were negative, Harris said. They were set to be re-tested Wednesday, the 13th day after exposure. Those test results should be available today or Friday.
As a precaution, the 11 patients also were tested, and those tests were negative. Those individuals can be re-tested if they choose.