From staff reports
The state Department of Health and state Emergency Management Agency will partner with CVS Health to offer COVID-19 testing services to skilled nursing facilities statewide, free of charge.
“This partnership strengthens and increases access to ensure universal testing is completed in nursing homes, as required in the order issued earlier this month,” state Secretary of Health Rachel Levine said.
“It will provide us the opportunity to better address outbreaks and work to prevent future outbreaks in nursing home facilities. These teams are assisting us in our response in the hardest-hit areas as we work to protect the public health and safety of Pennsylvanians.”
Omnicare, a CVS Health company, will administer up to 50,000 tests for skilled nursing residents and staff members beginning next week.
The department will roll out a three-tiered priority list for tests beginning with facilities with new or ongoing outbreaks, then to facilities with a history of a resolved outbreak and finishing with facilities with no outbreaks.
