All Michigan nursing home residents, staff members must get coronavirus tests

(6/15/2020) - All Michigan nursing home residents and staff members must receive coronavirus tests -- and each facility must report results to the state -- under an order issued Monday.

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Robert Gordon is requiring nursing homes complete coronavirus testing, along with timely reports of cases, deaths, personal protective equipment supplies and staffing shortages.

Facilities face a $1,000 fine for each day that required statistics are not reported to the state.

“As we continue working to protect Michigan families from the spread of COVID-19 and lower the chance of a second wave, we must do everything we can to protect our most vulnerable Michiganders and those frontline workers who care for them,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Nursing home residents and staff account for more than 17% of Michigan's confirmed coronavirus cases and nearly 35% of deaths attributed to the illness statewide.

An enhanced analysis by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services found 7,163 coronavirus cases among nursing home residents and 3,133 cases involving staff members as of Sunday. That's 10,296 cases out of Michigan's total of 60,064 confirmed cases.

The state reported 1,947 nursing home residents and 20 staff members died from coronavirus while 4,919 patients recovered.

Nursing homes must submit coronavirus testing plans to state regulators by June 22 and implement them within seven days after that. Their new coronavirus testing requirements include:

-- An initial test of all residents and staff.

-- Testing of all new or returning residents within 72 hours of intake.

-- Testing of any resident or staff member with symptoms of or exposure to coronavirus.

-- Weekly testing of all residents and staff members in facilities with any positive coronavirus cases until 14 days after the last new positive test.

-- Weekly testing of all staff in regions placed in Phases 1 to 4 of the MI Safe Start map.

-- Testing of all staff in all nursing before July 3 (except the northern Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula).

In addition to increased testing, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is deploying rapid response teams to help nursing facilities overcome staffing shortages.

Registered nurses and other key staff will be available to facilities for up to 14 days, beginning in the southeast and western regions of the state.

Doctors Without Borders, which is an international medical service nonprofit organization, is sending teams to assess infection and prevention control practices for Michigan nursing homes.

Whitmer also extended nursing home coronavirus safety measures through July 12, including requirements for employees with symptoms of the illness to stay home, a system of regional hubs to care for patients from facilities without enough resources and special precautions for facilities whenever a resident shows coronavirus symptoms.