On August 7, 2020, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) said it would continue state funding to test nursing home staff biweekly for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). All nursing home staff must be retested for COVID-19 every other week in facilities without a confirmed case. Existing state guidance requires nursing home staff to be tested weekly if a COVID-19 case has been detected.
The funding, which will continue through November 2020, is through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Facilities will be required to report all test results.
NCDHHS is also deploying 10 additional regional infection control support teams to support ongoing efforts to help long-term care facilities prevent and manage COVID-19 outbreaks. The regional infection control teams will provide onsite infection prevention and control help, continuing NCDHHS’s work with long-term care facilities on implementing these protocols.
This was reported by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services on August 7, 2020.
Contact information: Office of Communications, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, 101 Blair Drive, Adams Building, 2001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27699-2000; 919-855-4840; Fax: 919-733-7447; Email: news@dhhs.nc.gov; Website: https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/information/health-care/long-term-care-facilities.
