THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH today recognized nursing homes for reporting their COVID-19 facility information and 349 of the state’s 563 nursing homes for completing mandated universal testing, Your Content is first to reveal.
Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine also reminded all other nursing homes to report data daily and complete universal testing at least once by July 24.
“Our goal with implementing this universal testing in nursing homes is to rapidly detect asymptomatic positive residents and staff, manage their care and prevent further transmission of COVID-19 in these living settings,” Secretary of Health Dr. Levine said.
“As facilities implement universal testing and continue to report their facility information, it will help us understand how COVID-19 is impacting these vulnerable populations. Thank you to those facilities that have taken responsibility for completing and reporting, we appreciate your continued efforts to support residents across the state.”
This nursing home data, along with other long-term care facility (LTCF) data, is updated every Tuesday. Facilities are mandated by the Department of Health to report the number of cases, number of employee cases and number of deaths that have occurred at each facility. This nursing home data now includes the facilities that have completed universal testing across the state.
The department is helping facilities that are not reporting, or not reporting properly, to ensure the data is being shared properly in order to provide a comprehensive update each week. For facilities with fewer than five in any of the collected data points, the information is redacted to protect patient confidentiality. As testing becomes more widespread and ultimately universal, it is important that all facilities report all necessary information.
The Wolf Administration’s strategy to protect residents of LTCFs focuses on ensuring resident safety through education, resources and testing; preventing and mitigating outbreaks; and working in partnership with other state agencies, municipal and county health departments and LTCFs.
The Department of Health partnered with CVS Health and Eurofins to provide additional assistance in nursing homes to ensure facilities have access to COVID-19 testing resources statewide.
For more, please visit our COVID-19 information for Nursing Homes website.
The Wolf Administration stresses the role Pennsylvanians play in helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19:
- Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
- Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, not your hands.
- Clean surfaces frequently.
- Stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, especially if you are unwell.
- If you must go out, you are required to wear a mask when in a business or where it is difficult to maintain proper social distancing.
All Pennsylvania residents are encouraged to sign up for AlertPA, a text notification system for health, weather, and other important alerts like COVID-19 updates from commonwealth agencies. Residents can sign up online at www.ready.pa.gov/BeInformed/Signup-For-Alerts.