Petaluma senior apartment resident tests positive for coronavirus

Residents of a senior apartment complex in Petaluma have been placed under quarantine after one of them tested positive for COVID-19, according to an announcement Tuesday from PEP Housing, or Petaluma Ecumenical Properties.

The female resident who fell ill resides at one of 13 senior communities in Petaluma, though PEP officials have so far declined to say which one.

The 42-year-old nonprofit organization provides affordable housing to 720 seniors with limited incomes residing at 19 sites in the North Bay.

The woman's daughter reported Monday that her mother had tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The resident has not been hospitalized but is isolated in her apartment, PEP Human Resources Manager Sharon Redman-Patchin said.

“This particular individual is very proactive, and we've been doing consistent communication with all of our residents just to let them know, should any of them feel ill, just contact their physician and, if required, get tested,” Redman-Patchin said.

The case marks the first known instance of COVID-19 at a senior housing facility in Sonoma County.

PEP reported the case to Sonoma County public health officials, who plan to trace the woman's contacts to see if others may have been exposed, a county spokeswoman said.

A maintenance worker for the complex also has been tested but his results haven't yet been returned, PEP Executive Director Mary Stompe said.

Outbreaks at senior care homes elsewhere, especially in the Seattle area and in Louisiana, have proven extremely troubling, causing rapid spread.

But PEP does not offer shared living settings, instead providing completely separate, independent apartments, agency personnel said.

Each complex has a community room with a kitchen and restrooms, but those have been closed and all classes and other events canceled for several weeks, Stompe said.

Support staff members who help residents access social services and other help have been working by phone and email, as well, she said.

Some residents do have individual in-home care providers, including the woman who is now sick, Stompe said.

Quarantined residents were provided with food, primarily frozen meals, from the Ceres Community Project on Monday night to last through the week, Redman-Patchin said.

A delivery of groceries is expected for each of them next weekend, she said.

Stompe said the laundry room also has been closed. The elevator remains in operation, though it has been sanitized and should not be required, since everyone is staying indoors.

“We are taking every step as recommended by authorities to contain the spread,” Stompe said. “We want to make residents, their families, our dedicated staff and our community aware of this situation and reassure everyone that we are on top of the situation.”

The PEP patient is one of 85 recorded cases of COVID-19 in Sonoma County as of Tuesday evening. One man has died and 13 people have recovered. A Santa Rosa police officer from American Canyon in Napa County has also died of the virus. Nearly 1,600 people have been tested, according to Sonoma County health officials.

Ten cases have been reported in southern Sonoma County, which includes Petaluma.

Staff Writer Lori A. Carter contributed to this report. You can reach Staff Writer Mary Callahan at 707-521-5249 or mary.callahan@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MaryCallahanB.