State officials are holding off on sending more coronavirus test kits to nursing homes and long-term health care facilities across Massachusetts after issues with sample collection.
Marylou Sudders, secretary of Health and Human Services, said Tuesday the state has received test samples from only 4,000 of the 14,000 kits agencies have sent to care centers.
“We’re working with the nursing home industry so we can re-start up sending test kits once we understand what some of the logistical issues are,” Sudders told reporters.
The number of cases at long-term care facilities make up a substantial amount of the commonwealth’s total confirmed COVID-19 cases and the large majority of deaths related to the virus.
As of Tuesday, there were 7,044 cases and 1,059 deaths reported at those facilities, out of the 41,199 total cases and 1,961 deaths reported across the state.
Sudders said, however, the state is expanding its mobile testing program — launched earlier this month in partnership with the National Guard, Fallon Ambulance, and the Broad Institute — in the interim at nursing homes, rest homes, assisted living residences, group homes, and other facilities.
State officials have more oversight over quality control in testing through that initiative than they do when tests are carried out by nursing staff at individual facilities, Sudders said Wednesday.
She hopes to get test kits flowing to nursing homes again though, she said.
“Obviously it’s an effective way to getting out to homes and not having elders … go somewhere else,” Sudders said.
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