Twenty staff members and patients at Duke Raleigh (N.C.) Hospital have tested positive for COVID-19 in an outbreak traced to an inpatient unit for surgical and oncology patients, reports The News & Observer.
Durham, N.C.-based Duke Health System disclosed the outbreak March 22, but the first infection was confirmed last weekend. The health system did not reveal how many patients were infected, but said most cases involve staff members.
Patients who tested positive and still required hospitalization were moved to a COVID-19 unit, according to The News & Observer.
"We are working to conduct contact-tracing and COVID-19 testing, complete a deep clean of the unit and temporarily restricting visitations to this unit until the full cleaning and review process is complete," Duke Health said in a statement emailed to Becker's.
"COVID-19 continues to be a public health concern, with persistent infections throughout the community. Duke Health has remained vigilant and has not relaxed safety precautions, infection controls or preparedness for outbreaks," the health system added.