Test, and test again.
That is the message to long-term care facilities after a May 12 executive order from state Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli, requiring them to test all residents and staff for the novel coronavirus by May 26.
And then retest within 3-7 days, to catch any new infections, the order said.
The idea is to separate all COVID-positive staff members and residents from those who remain negative, to stop the spread.
On Monday, the White House strongly recommended to governors that all residents and staff at such facilities be tested for the coronavirus in the next two weeks.
Further testing would follow, in accordance with CDC guidelines, Persichilli said at Gov. Phil Murphy’s Wednesday COVID-19 news conference. She also said all staff must be tested, even those whose jobs are administrative or not direct patient care jobs.
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“Staff means medical and nonmedical,” Persichilli said.
The order grew out of results of testing done at 16 South Jersey long-term care facilities, Persichilli said.
The state and Cooper Health System tested 4,600 residents and staff members in the facilities, and found 24.4% of residents and 9.75% of staff were positive. Most were asymptomatic, with no sign of illness. But by interacting with others, they could spread the virus without realizing it.
It was unclear if the testing must be in addition to the state testing program that Persichilli announced last week.
The 16 South Jersey facilities were the first phase. In the second phase, which is ongoing, those facilities with fewer than five cases are being tested. Persichilli has said Phase 2 includes 76 facilities with 10,324 beds.
She had said during Phase 3, those in facilities with six to 25 cases will be tested, and in Phase 4, those in all other facilities will be tested.
The Department of Health did not respond to requests for clarification on Wednesday.
By May 19, all long-term care facilities such as licensed nursing homes, assisted living facilities, dementia care homes, residential health care facilities and comprehensive personal care homes must also update their outbreak plans. They have to now include a testing policy, plans for cohorting residents who test positive, and policies for time off and returning to work for staff who test positive, the order said.
It also requires retesting of those who test negative within 3-7 days, in order to detect those with newly developed infection, and further retesting in according with CDC guidance.
There are 90,000 residents in nursing homes and assisted living facilities statewide, according to the health department. Almost 26,000 positive cases have been reported from the facilities and about half of the state’s 9,700 COVID-19 deaths have been associated with long-term care.
State Attorney General Gurbir Grewal is investigating possible criminal or negligent acts at nursing homes and has asked for the public’s help collecting information. He has asked members of the public to report their experiences at covid19.nj.gov/LTC — particularly behaviors by the facilities that “put profits over patients.”
The state has also said it is placing National Guard troops in some facilities, and has hired Manatt, a national business consulting firm, to help it better protect residents and staff in long-term care facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the future.
