All long-term care facilities in KY will be tested for COVID-19

May 9, 2020 | 12:08 am

Updated May 9, 2020 | 12:41 am

The Kentucky Department for Public Health announced Friday a new long-term care testing strategy in partnership with Norton Healthcare and local health departments and emergency management leaders.

All long-term care facilities will be risk-stratified based on eight key metrics. There will be COVID-19 surveillance testing for residents and staff in all 286 skilled nursing facilities in the Commonwealth. Facilities will have guidance for pre-planning, testing, post-testing and follow-up.

Four long-term care facilities in the Green River District Health Department’s seven-county service area have had reported at least one positive case, including a center in Daviess County.

Norton Healthcare’s helpline will be available 24 hours a day for all facilities.

“This testing strategy will advance the proactive response initiated weeks ago by Beshear, when visitation in long-term care facilities was limited,” said Eric Friedlander, secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. “This, and other proactive measures, ranging from infection-control prevention, consultations and PPE-planning, has saved lives among this vulnerable population. With the ability to now test every resident of our long-term care facilities, we can take an even more aggressive approach in our battle against the coronavirus.”

Case numbers in Kentucky
Beshear said there were at least 6,288 coronavirus cases in Kentucky, 176 of which were newly confirmed Friday. He also reported four new deaths, raising the state’s toll to 298 deaths related to the virus. At least 2,266 Kentuckians have recovered from the virus.

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The Owensboro Health coronavirus hotline is available 24/7 by calling 877-888-6647. Call the hotline before seeking in-person care. More information from OH can be found here.

For the latest information and data on COVID-19 in Kentucky visit kycovid19.ky.gov or dial the Kentucky state hotline at 800-722-5725.

For the latest health guidelines and resources from the CDC, visit their website here.

May 9, 2020 | 12:08 am

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