COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced Friday that Ohio Department of Health Interim Director Lance Himes has signed an order for COVID-19 testing of residents and staff at all residential care facilities.
Beginning on Aug. 24, each residential care facility licensed by ODH will be required to test staff members.
Since the onset of the pandemic, the spread of the coronavirus at residential care facilities has been a concern among health officials because of their congregate nature and the at-risk population they serve.
The state will provide guidance to mitigate facility staffing shortage in the event staff test positive for COVID-19 and are unable to work, according to CDC guidance.
The order will remain in place until the state of emergency declared by the governor is lifted.
Read the full order here.
Similar testing has been required at Ohio's nursing homes since May when then-Public Health Director Dr. Amy Acton signed an orderrequiring licensed nursing homes to cooperate with strategic testing of staff and residents in accordance with ODH guidelines.
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Click here for a page with resources including a COVID-19 overview from the CDC, details on cases in Ohio, a timeline of Governor Mike DeWine's orders since the outbreak, coronavirus' impact on Northeast Ohio, and link to more information from the Ohio Department of Health, the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, the CDC and the WHO.
See data visualizations showing the impact of coronavirus in Ohio, including county-by-county maps, charts showing the spread of the disease, and more.
The CDC and the Ohio Department of Health are now recommending the use of cloth face coverings in public to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Read more about the CDC's recommendation here. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make a face maskfrom common household materials, without having to know how to sew.
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
