“Nursing home residents are at higher risk for infection, serious illness, and death from COVID-19,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “Testing residents and health care staff is important to help keep COVID-19 out of facilities if the virus is not there, detect cases quickly – especially among individuals who are asymptomatic, and stop transmission. While many facilities are working with IDPH and their local health departments to help keep residents safe, we cannot rely on voluntary compliance alone, and this additional regulatory authority will help ensure swift action.”
IDPH is requiring every long-term care facility in Illinois to test all residents and staff for COVID-19 as recommended by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Each facility will collect specimens and arrange with a laboratory to have them tested. IDPH will provide training and assistance with testing if needed and will help identify laboratory services if requested. Each facility will be required to report to public health officials the number of residents and staff-tested, and the number of positive, negative, and indeterminate test results.
Source:
MAGA
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