President Trump said he may require all nursing homes to conduct coronavirus tests on residents at the facilities.
“Well, I would certainly consider that. I will mandate it, if you’d like,” the president said in response to a question about whether he would mandate testing during a White House press conference on Monday. “I think it’s important to do.”
Hours earlier, the White House Coronavirus Task Force recommended that nursing homes around the country test residents and staff within the next two weeks during a call with the nation’s governors. Dr. Deborah Birx, the task force coordinator, said the states should focus on testing all 1 million people who are currently in nursing homes.
Elderly people are far more vulnerable to the virus, which has infected more than 1.3 million in the United States and killed about 80,000. Late last month, it was reported that 57% of the deaths in both Pennsylvania and Massachusetts came from long-term care facilities. One-third of all U.S. deaths from the coronavirus have been sourced to nursing homes, according to the New York Times.
Massachusetts and the Justice Department launched investigations into one nursing home for veterans that has had dozens of deaths.
