Catholic priest being treated for coronavirus at Kadlec hospital in Richland

A Catholic priest from Mattawa is being treated at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, the Diocese of Yakima said Sunday.

The Rev. Alejandro “Alex” Trejo, 48, pastor of Our Lady of the Desert Parish in Mattawa, has been hospitalized since March 1 in Richland for treatment of pneumonia, it said.

His initial two test results for the virus earlier this week were inconclusive, but the diocese learned late Saturday night that a third test was positive.

It is unknown how he became infected.

“Father Alex continues to recover well and we are appreciative of the prayers of many, many parishioners, and the excellent care of the hospital staff,” said Most Rev. Joseph J. Tyson, bishop of Yakima.

Kadlec released a statement Sunday saying it is well equipped and its caregivers are trained to care for infectious disease every day of the year.

“We are fully skilled in treating patients with viruses even more serious than COVID-19,” it said.

Trejo has been in an isolation unit at Kadlec with only two visitors allowed each day. They wear protective medical gear.

Tyson planned to visit him Sunday for the third time since last Tuesday.

Trejo is scheduled to be released in the next few days and then will continue his recovery at a private residence, the diocese said. It is not known when he will be able to resume his parish duties.

Priest had been overseas

Trejo made an eight-day pilgrimage to the Holy Land last month, returning Feb. 18.

The Grant County Health District has contacted the other participants on the trip and those who have been in close contact with him since his return to the United States. It began to contact people on Wednesday as a precaution, even though no coronavirus test had been positive then.

The priest reported a high fever on March 1, a Sunday, and after his final Mass that day began to self-quarantine in the parish residence for priests. But his conditioned worsened quickly and he was taken to Kadlec.

His parish facilities had already undergone a deep cleaning on Friday in anticipation of possible weekend masses.

However, after Gov. Jay Inslee ordered a ban on all gatherings larger than 250 in Washington state on Friday, public Masses in the Diocese of Yakima were suspended, with the exception of a few funerals and weddings already scheduled.

“Mattawa is a close-knit community, and the parish is the center of many people’s lives,” Tyson said. “The parish church is small and usually filled to overflowing, especially at the Spanish masses.”

Trejo has served the 800-household parish in Mattawa for nearly four years. He was ordained in 2003. From Mexico City, Mexico, he became a U.S. citizen about eight years ago.

Because Trejo lives in Grant County, he is not included in Benton-Franklin Health District statistics.

“Positive test results are attributed to the county where the person lives, not the location where they receive treatment,” the Benton-Franklin Health District said.

It continues to report no confirmed cases in the two counties as of Friday.

Trejo is the second case in Grant County, after an elderly Quincy resident died about a week ago.

State coronavirus update

The death toll from the novel coronavirus in Washington state hit 42 on Sunday, according to the Washington state Department of Health.

The number of cases in the state increased from 642 on Saturday to 769 on Sunday, with cases in 17 counties.

This story was originally published March 15, 2020 at 2:47 PM.