Coronavirus cases in Burbank reach the triple-digit mark
Burbank now has more than 100 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus.
The city reached the triple-digit mark over the weekend and, as of Monday afternoon, had 103 positive cases, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
Burbank’s numbers have grown steadily since the novel coronavirus was first reported in the city on March 19.
City officials did not immediately return a request for comment.
In the past several days, the number of cases in Burbank went from 88 on Thursday to 96 on Friday and finally hitting 100 on Saturday.
At least 17 of those cases were reported at the Alameda Care Center, where two senior residents died from complications related to the virus in late March. There have not been any other publicly reported deaths since.
The county’s health agency has also kept track of novel coronavirus cases that have been reported at other health care facilities and skilled-nursing centers across the region, in addition to the Alameda Care Center’s outbreak.
Facilities include the Ambitions-Verdugo House 2 assisted-living home and the Burbank Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center.
Another coronavirus case was confirmed in early April after Logix Federal Credit Union notified customers an employee at its Burbank branch tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19.
It’s unknown where else in the community the virus has spread.
Providence St. Joseph Medical Center, Burbank’s sole hospital, has remained tight-lipped about whether it has treated or is currently treating COVID-19 patients.
In an earlier email to the Burbank Leader, a hospital spokesperson said the facility “deeply respects our patients’ privacy and does not acknowledge whether individuals are being treated for COVID-19 or any illness or injury in our hospital.”
According to the county’s health agency, Burbank’s rate of infection is roughly 95 per 100,000 people — slightly lower than some of its neighbors.
In Glendale, the rate is about 120 per 100,000 people, while in the city of Los Angeles, it’s 101. The two cities have 255 and 4,209 cases of the virus, respectively, according to county statistics.
Burbank officials have worked to mitigate the spread of the virus in the community by taking several actions including setting social-distancing rules for businesses, automating walk signals at intersections to eliminate the need to press a button and following the county’s lead in requiring all customers and employees at essential businesses to wear face coverings.
