Finally, Universal Testing to Begin at Gracedale

Better late than never. This weekend, universal testing for Covid-19 begins at Gracedale. All staff and residents will be tested with the assistance of 13 members of the Pa. National Guard as well as six nurses from the state Department of Health. Two hundred and eight-five residents and staff have already been diagnosed with Covid-19, and 71 of these residents were fatally stricken.

The testing is taking place in accordance with a universal testing order issued by the Wolf Administration on June 8. Updated CDC guidance also recommends universal testing at nursing homes, followed by weekly testing of health care personnel thereafter.

Does more testing mean more positive Covid-19 cases? Yes, at least initially. This enables health care professionals to isolate an infected person and then identify and quarantine the subject's contacts. This eventually leads to elimination of the contagion.

“While the Federal Government let us down at the beginning of this crisis, we are deeply grateful to the National Guard for helping Gracedale with this testing at this time,” said Executive Lamont McClure. He's obviously referring to the initial shortage of Covid-19 test kits that crippled the nation's ability to address the pandemic. Initial test kits developed by the CDC were flawed, and it refused to approve test kits that were developed by WHO and working elsewhere.

In addition to a test kit shortage, Pa. Sec'y of Health Rachel Levine directed that “nursing care facilities must continue to accept new admissions and receive readmissions,” which “may include stable patients who have had the COVID-19 virus.” Interestingly, around this time, she moved her mother from a personal care home to a luxury hotel.

Nursing homes soon became ground zero for Covid-19 in Pennsylvania, where 69% of the fatalities were nursing home residents. In Northampton County, 84.6% of the 260 fatalities were from nursing homes. At Gracedale, the death toll was 66 as of June 11.

So while it's accurate to say the federal government "let us down," so did the state Department of Health.