Kentucky will now test every nursing home resident and employee for the coronavirus

Kentucky now plans to administer coronavirus tests for every resident and employee at the state's 286 nursing homes.

But the process could take several months, starting with homes that state officials identify as needing tests most.

"It's a very aggressive strategy where we're going to be targeted, making sure we know the situation in each of the facilities ... and be able to take some quick action," Gov. Andy Beshear said during his Friday press briefing.

Beshear and Eric Friedlander, secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, made the announcement just one day after the state's largest nursing home operator said it would take on full-facility testing at its 41 Kentucky properties.

As of May 8, at least 862 residents and 356 employees from 81 long-term care facilities have tested positive for the virus. At least 176 people have died, including two staff members.

Friedlander acknowledged that mass testing is a drastic shift from the state's initial position, with officials recommending that health care providers test only those showing symptoms — including residents and employees of long-term care facilities.

But the Kentucky Department of Public Health has been able to increasingly acquire tests and related supplies, such as nasal swabs, in recent weeks, allowing it to open testing to potentially asymptomatic carriers.

Background:COVID-19 has killed 150 in nursing homes. Why isn't Kentucky testing all residents?

Friedlander said he thinks only 10% of the state's 23,000 nursing home residents have currently been tested, as a result of the limitations, but "we are going to get to 100%."

"We're excited to be able to offer this," he said, "to offer some assurance to folks in long-term care."

The state health department will work with partners, including Norton Healthcare and Gravity Diagnostics, to conduct testing at each facility.

The homes will be "stratified" based on eight metrics — including if they've already reported positive tests and if they are located in a county with a high rate of cases.

And the tests will be free to the facilities, as well as their residents and staff, "so that folks can feel like they can and should get tested," Friedlander said.

Each nursing home will be required to have a plan in place before the testing begins, so that they can be prepared for potential positive cases, Friedlander said.

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Norton Healthcare has set up a 24-hour hotline where nursing homes can receive guidance and work with employees to set up such plans.

Facilities that discover cases are urged to create COVID-19 units where sick residents can be isolated, if they have the space, or to transfer them to a nearby hospital for care.

Employees that test positive are required to remain away from the facilities until they recover from the virus. And Friedlander said the state health department is able to assist homes should a staffing shortage occur.

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Norton has sent "strike teams" to facilities that need help, and the National Guard is supporting one facility in northern Kentucky.

The state's long-term care task force is also working with local colleges and universities to match recent health care graduates with nursing homes that need more hands, Friedlander said.

The task force hopes to have the matching program "up and running by next week," he said.

News:More than half of Kentucky's coronavirus-related deaths are from nursing homes

Reach reporter Bailey Loosemore at bloosemore@courier-journal.com, 502-582-4646 or on Twitter @bloosemore. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: https://www.courier-journal.com/baileyl.