Lamont: Mandatory Coronavirus Testing at Nursing Homes

CONNECTICUT — Gov. Ned Lamont has issued an executive order mandating COVID-19 testing for the staff of all nursing homes, managed residential communities and assisted living services agencies, both public and private.

In issuing the order on Monday, Lamont cited the risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 as being higher for those aged 60 and older, and for those who have chronic health conditions.

Healthcare workers face increased risk of exposure and infection, Lamont said in the order, and run a higher risk of transmitting the disease to their patients, coworkers or family members.

"Congregate settings such as nursing homes and managed residential communities in Connecticut have experienced large numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths during the pandemic," Lamont said. The statement has been borne out by the death toll from the virus at these facilities. There have been 1,884 confirmed deaths among nursing home residents due to COVID-19 in Connecticut, according to a report released from the state Department of Health on Thursday. Across the state's assisted living facilities, the COVID-19 death toll is 240.

Nursing homes must begin staff testing for COVID-19 no later than June 14, and each member of the staff must be tested at least once a week thereafter. The testing for staff of managed residential communities and assisted living facilities must begin no later than June 28. In all cases, staff testing will continue "for the duration of the public health and civil preparedness emergency," according to the governor's order.

The order's definition of "staff" includes all regular employees, as well as per diem workers, contractors, volunteers, dietary, laundry and housekeeping personnel.

Mag Morelli, president of LeadingAge Connecticut, and Matt Barrett, president and CEO of the Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities, praised the governor's executive order: "The comprehensive testing strategy for both residents and employees in nursing homes and assisted living communities has been guided by recent CMS and CDC guidance and is now possible as the testing is more widely available.

"We thank the governor for his support of nursing home and assisted living community residents and employees in what we expect to be long range testing initiative.

"Launching universal employee and resident COVID-19 testing is an important move to control the further spread of the virus and to hopefully bring us closer to a place of reopening the nursing homes and assisted living communities to visitors."