DOH released updated guidance for nursing home staff testing. Fully vaccinated staff will no longer require routine twice weekly testing. Personnel who have not been fully vaccinated must continue to be tested twice per week.
Any staff or resident with signs or symptoms of COVID-19 must be immediately tested, whether vaccinated or not. If COVID-19 is confirmed for staff, DOH return to work requirements for nursing homes must be followed. Residents should be placed on transmission-based precautions while tests results are pending.
Upon identification of a single new case of COVID-19 infection in any healthcare personnel (HCP) or residents, all HCP and residents, regardless of vaccination status, should be tested immediately, and all HCP and residents who test negative should be retested every 3 days to 7 days until testing identifies no new cases of COVID-19 infection among HCP or residents for a period of at least 14 days since the most recent positive result.
Nursing homes must continue to screen all staff (each shift) and residents (daily), as well as all persons entering the facility.
DOH will continue to distribute Abbott BinaxNow antigen tests to nursing homes to perform a second weekly test.
DOH also issued updated guidance for testing of adult care facility staff. Fully vaccinated personnel no longer require routine once-weekly testing.
For more information, please contact Andrew Jewett, Director, Hospital Preparedness Program at ajewett@iroquois.org.