(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania public health officials said Tuesday some 693 nursing homes complied with the universal testing mandate established in June, providing the state with a better understanding of how widespread COVID-19 infections are inside these facilities.
“This was an essential step to ensure that we further protect residents and staff within these vulnerable communities,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “We provided nursing homeowners and operators with the resources they needed to complete this huge task and we are appreciative for their cooperation.”
Levine asked nursing homes to test all patients and staff by July 24. The $33 million undertaking became necessary, she said, after the department traced the source of nursing home outbreaks to asymptomatic employees. More than two-thirds of the state’s 7,000 virus deaths have occurred in these types of facilities, the department said.
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