CMS Recommends States Plan For Testing All Nursing Home Residents & Staff For COVID-19

On May 18, 2020, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued recommendations to help state and local officials determine the level of mitigation needed to prevent nursing home transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The recommendation specifically included a statement that states consider capacity for testing all residents, staff, vendors, and volunteers. The testing plan should be based on contingencies informed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). At minimum, the plan should consider the following components:

The capacity for all nursing home residents to receive a single baseline COVID-19 test. Similarly, the . . .