Coronavirus breakout closes Kaiser Westside pharmacy, 7 staffers diagnosed positive

Published 12:00 am Monday, April 6, 2020

Seven pharmacy employees at the Kaiser Westside Medical Center in Hillsboro have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Kaiser Permanente confirmed the seven employees’ illness today and closed the pharmacy — the same day The Oregonian/OregonLive inquired about the novel coronavirus breakout.

The first pharmacy employee fell ill “about four weeks ago,” said a pharmacy technician, who commented on the condition they remain anonymous for fear of losing their job. “We’ve been dropping like flies ever since.”

It’s unclear whether employees or customers were ever notified by Kaiser Permanente Northwest, which operates Kaiser Westside. Three employees interviewed by The Oregonian/OregonLive said they never were.

Kaiser made a significant change to how it serves its customers at the facility, moving recently to curbside service only so customers no longer have to walk into the pharmacy.

This Oregonian/OregonLive story is shared as part of a local media project to increase COVID-19 news coverage.