The state launched its initiative to test residents and staff at all personal care and nursing homes for covid-19 as the first stage of a sweeping plan for ongoing testing at the more than 1,900 facilities.

“We will have to continue (testing) until we have a vaccine” for covid-19, state Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said Monday.

Levine did not explain where the testing has been conducted, and the Health Department did not respond to a request for a comment.

Gov. Tom Wolf announced in mid-May the state would conduct testing in nursing home and personal care facilities, where the elderly population with health-related problems are particularly susceptible to becoming seriously ill and dying from covid-19.

Of the 5,567 covid-19-related deaths the Health Department reported as of Monday, about 3,550 occurred in personal care and nursing homes, the health department stated.

About 15,540 people living in long-term care facilities have contracted covid-19, the Health Department said. Of those hospitalized with covid-19, 56% are age 65 and older.

“We’re seeing a decline in deaths, but the threat is not over,” Levine cautioned.

The highest number of nursing home deaths — 76 — were connected to the Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in Beaver County.

The testing will be focused initially at the facilities in high population density areas and with a higher number of covid-19 cases, Levine said. In rural areas with a smaller population and fewer cases, there is likely to be fewer tests administered, Levine said.

In some cases, the facilities were victims of “community spread” that may have started by staff or visitors who were asymptomatic — not showing any of the symptoms associated with covid-19 — “yet very contagious.”

If there was just one case of covid-19, “we consider that to be an outbreak,” Levine said.

To stem the spread of coronavirus, Levine said the state is sending 1,800 shipments of personal protective equipment and 2 million N95 masks to nursing home and long-term care facilities.

“We will continue to push out PPE … and are developing plans for the fall,” in case of an outbreak, Levine said.

It is critical to develop a rapid antibody test and a rapid test for the virus, Levine said. “You put those two together, you are way ahead of the game.“

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