GOV. ABBOTT DIRECTS STATE AUTHORITIES TO TEST ALL NURSING HOME RESIDENTS, STAFF FOR COVID-19

  

Governor Greg Abbott has instructed state agencies to develop a plan to test all residents and staff in nursing homes in Texas.

Monday, Governor Abbott directed the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM), and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to begin developing a plan based on the guidance of Vice President Mike Pence and Dr. Deborah Birx.

The coronavirus has hit nursing homes across the state and nation particularly hard, with nearly half of all reported COVID-19 deaths in Texas coming at nursing homes or assisted living facilities.  In Washington County, 103 of the county’s 168 positive cases and 20 of its 22 deaths are linked to the Brenham Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

Abbott said the state is working to rapidly expand its testing capacity, particularly among vulnerable populations in Texas nursing homes.  He said this collaboration between the HHSC, TDEM, and DSHS will “ensure that any potential clusters of COVID-19 cases in nursing homes are quickly detected and contained”.