The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says it will release information about COVID-19 cases and deaths at long-term care facilities, including nursing homes and assisted living centers.
MDHHS is now requiring long-term care to give daily updates regarding their current bed availability and their personal protective equipment inventory along with the current number of COVID-19 cases and deaths within their facility.
Lynn Sutfin, the Public Information Officer with MDHHS, says the information will be released sometime this week. Sutfin gave no additional specifics about what exact information the state will publish about individual facilities.
MDHHS says it is taking these steps and more to combat the impact of COVID-19 in long-term care settings and ensure residents and employees are protected.
MDHHS is also creating the COVID-19 Infection Prevention Resource and Assessment Team – or COVID iPRAT.
COVID iPRAT was designed specifically to help prevent COVID-19 infections and contain the spread of COVID-19 in long-term care facilities. It will be made up of staff members from across the Public Health Administration Division of Communicable Diseases.
The iPRAT team will give local health departments – and the long-term care facilities in their jurisdiction – access to training on the latest MDHHS, CDC, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services guidelines.
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