Are long-term facilities testing for COVID-19?

This information can change, please double-check sources for information, and continue to monitor sources or back here for updates.

Admission/Readmission Testing:  Admission testing remains recommended in LTCFs, but is ultimately at the discretion of the LTCF. Residents who leave the facility for 24 hours or longer should generally be managed as an admission. Note: It continues to be best practice that LTCF residents, who are
evaluated in a hospital for symptoms not associated with COVID-19 infection, can be transferred or returned to their home facility without a negative COVID19 test. Testing is recommended prior to hospital discharge in the event of a known exposure to COVID-19 or if the resident has symptoms consistent with COVID-19.

Additional information for HCP with COVID-19 or exposure can be found here. 

Routine Screening Testing: Screening testing of asymptomatic healthcare personnel is no longer required, but a facility may use discretion to perform screening testing of staff.

Higher-risk exposures and close contacts: Asymptomatic residents and staff with close contact should have a series of three viral tests (at least 24 hours after the initial exposure and, if negative, again 48 hours after first negative; and if negative again, 48 hours after second negative test – typically day 1, with exposure being day 0, day 3 and day 5).
• Asymptomatic staff must follow recommended infection control practices. Work restrictions are not necessary for staff that remain asymptomatic (unless certain circumstances warrant it such as staff
unable to wear source control as recommended for 10 days following exposure).
• Asymptomatic residents do not require transmission-based precautions while being evaluated for SARS-CoV-2 following close contact with someone with SARS-CoV-2 infection. These residents should wear source control for 10 days following the exposure. Testing is generally not recommended for asymptomatic people who have recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection in the prior 30 days.

Outbreak Testing:
• ODHS is in the process of amending OAR 411-060 to align with the CDC testing recommendation. CDC recommendations include broad-based testing (“unit-wide” or “facility-wide”) or contact tracing options in response to identification of a staff or a resident COVID-19 case.
• ODHS is expected to adopt contact tracing or broad-based testing options; however, facilities should continue to utilize broad-based testing when the facility does not have the experience and resources to perform individual contact tracing or should contact tracing efforts fail to control ongoing transmission.
• An outbreak investigation and initial testing would not be activated when a resident with known COVID-19 is admitted directly into transmission based precautions, or when a resident known to have close contact with someone with COVID-19 is admitted directly into transmission-based precautions and develops COVID-19 before precautions are discontinued.

More information can be found here.