PA Dept. of Health orders coronavirus testing in all nursing homes

The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Monday updated its guidance for steps nursing homes to take to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and required the testing of all residents and staff by late next month.

The universal testing order goes into effect Tuesday and set July 24 as the deadline for completion of at least one test in nursing homes.

“Our goal with implementing this universal testing in nursing homes is to rapidly detect asymptomatic positive residents, manage their care and prevent further transmission of COVID-19 in these living settings,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said in a press release.

Facilities are responsible for contracting with commercial laboratory for the testing. If a facility cannot arrange for commercial testing, the state laboratory may be used as a last resort in order to comply with the order.

Although it is labeled universal, it has limits. “Nothing in this Order shall be read to prevent a resident or a member of the staff of (a skilled nursing facility) from refusing testing,” it said.

The plan is to expand it further to all long-term care facilities, including personal care homes, assisted living residences and community residential rehabilitation services.

The DOH introduced its universal testing program last month in a pilot version involving five long-term care facilities. To date, more than 75 facilities have completed testing.

Nursing and personal care homes in the state have been hit hard by COVID-19 and residents, because of their age and underlying health problems are susceptible to the highly contagious and deadly disease.

According to the most recent report issued Monday by the DOH, within 615 facilities, there were 16,167 cases among patients, 2,807 among staff and 4,094 deaths or approximately 69 % of the overall COVID-19 attributable deaths statewide.

In Luzerne County, 20 facilities reported 466 cases among residents, 94 among staff and 118 deaths or approximately 75 % of the 158 COVID-19 attributable deaths.