Inflatable Costume May Be Behind Outbreak at California Hospital An employee at a hospital in San Jose wore an “air-powered” costume on Christmas. Yahoo is part of Verizon Media. See our, Read a limited number of articles each month, You consent to the use of cookies and tracking by us and third parties to provide you with personalized ads, Unlimited access to washingtonpost.com on any device, Unlimited access to all Washington Post apps, No on-site advertising or third-party ad tracking. COVID-19 Outbreak in California Linked to Danish Strain, Inflatable Christmas Tree Incident The Daily Beast - Arya Hodjat. A California hospital employee’s decision to show up to work in an inflatable Christmas tree costume may have helped spread a strain of COVID-19 from … With a red nose and big smile, a Christmas tree costume worn by a Kaiser employee in a California emergency room on Christmas was meant to spread cheer. Claim: An inflatable Christmas costume worn in the emergency room of a California hospital may have spread COVID-19, infecting more than 40 employees in late 2020 and early 2021. We rely on readers like you to uphold a free press. 43 staffers at the Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center Emergency Department tested positive for COVID-19 in the past week and officials say an inflatable costume may be to blame. According to the Post, researchers do not yet have evidence to believe … Dozens of COVID-19 cases and one death among Kaiser Permanente employees in San Jose have been linked to an inflatable costume worn by a staffer on Christmas. Inflatable costumes are typically battery-powered and use a fan to keep the costume puffed up. The fine issued on last Tuesday is $1,000 for each delayed report of a positive case, but since early January the number of infections connected to the Christmas event has ballooned to 92, from an … To enable Verizon Media and our partners to process your personal data select 'I agree', or select 'Manage settings' for more information and to manage your choices. KPIX 5 News at 11pm Replay 07:46 - 55H AGO SAN JOSE (CBS SF) — The number of people infected by a deadly COVID outbreak at a Kaiser hospital emergency room in San Jose linked to a staffer wearing an inflatable costume on Christmas has grown. SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) - A COVID-19 outbreak at a hospital may have been caused by a Christmas costume. We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. A California hospital hit by a COVID-19 outbreak after an employee wore an inflatable holiday costume on Christmas now faces a $43,000 fine, health officials say. A California hospital is facing a potential $43,000 fine from county health officials for alleged delays in reporting a Covid-19 super-spreader event linked to an inflatable Christmas tree costume. An outbreak has killed one, infected 43 at California hospital. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. Original Author: Mica Soellner. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. Original Location: California hospital fined for COVID-19 outbreak linked to inflatable Christmas costume Tags: News, California, Coronavirus, Public Health, Christmas. The outbreak occurred after an emergency room employee briefly wore an inflatable costume to work on Christmas. A deadly COVID-19 outbreak linked to an inflatable Christmas tree costume at a California hospital has now infected at least 92 people, including 15 patients, health officials say. An inflatable holiday costume is likely to blame, officials say. The strain, L452R, is separate from the more contagious variant of coronavirus first identified in Britain, and was first identified in California in May. Find out more about how we use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. Such a fan can propel virus particles in a room. A California hospital employee’s decision to show up to work in an inflatable Christmas tree costume may have helped spread a strain of COVID-19 from Denmark, The Washington Post reports. A Kaiser Permanente San Jose emergency room employee briefly donned an inflatable costume on Christmas to “lift the spirits” of fellow workers, hospital officials say. This content is currently not available in your region. At Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center, 44 staff members tested positive for COVID-19 after an employee came into the emergency department dressed as a tree on Christmas Day. Hospitals have come under increased pressure as COVID cases continue to surge. Inflatable Costume Likely Cause of 44 COVID Cases and 1 Death at Calif. Hospital, Officials Say. We and our partners will store and/or access information on your device through the use of cookies and similar technologies, to display personalised ads and content, for ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. A rendering of coronavirus via the CDC. Hospital fined over Covid outbreak traced to inflatable Christmas costume National News Posted: Jan 15, 2021 / 03:16 AM CST / Updated: Jan 15, 2021 / 03:16 AM CST A California hospital employee’s decision to show up to work in an inflatable Christmas tree costume may have helped spread a strain of COVID-19 from Denmark, The Washington Post reports. A coronavirus outbreak at Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center may have been caused by an employee wearing an inflatable holiday costume. A California hospital is facing a potential $43,000 fine from county health officials for alleged delays in reporting a Covid-19 super-spreader event linked to an inflatable Christmas tree costume. An air-powered holiday costume is being cited as a potential cause of a COVID-19 outbreak at a California hospital, according to local media reports. Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center Shutterstock Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic. Did Inflatable Christmas Costume Give 43 Kaiser Staff COVID? Kaiser San Jose fined $43,000 as investigation into Christmas costume Covid outbreak continues Could an inflatable tree really have infected at least 60 people, causing the death of one? At least 43 staff members have tested positive since Dec. 27. Information about your device and internet connection, including your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Verizon Media websites and apps. €5 every 4 weeks or just €50 €20 for the first year, €7 every 4 weeks or just €70 €30 for the first year. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy Controls. 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