COVID-19 testing now required for all residents, staff at SF skilled nursing facilities
Show of appreciation for healthcare workers
Medical workers at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital will receive a special thank you this morning. The hospital is the latest of several in the Bay Area, and around the country, where doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and all staff members are getting showered with appreciation. Allie Rasmus reports
SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) - San Francisco announced on Friday that COVID-19 testing is now required for all residents and staff at skilled nursing facilities in the city.
Mayor London Breed and Director of Health Dr. Grant Colfax said the new directive builds on the city's focus to protect one of San Francisco's most vulnerable populations, elderly residents.
The city said it will begin testing all residents and staff at its 21 skilled nursing facilities next week, with the goal of creating a two-week testing cycle after the first round of tests are completed.
Long-term care facilities around the Bay Area are struggling with coronavirus outbreaks. The spread of the virus at Laguna Honda only further underscored the risk the deadly virus poses in those settings.
“We responded quickly to the outbreak at Laguna Honda, and we’ve learned a lot during our ongoing response that can help the other skilled nursing facilities in the city," Breed said. "Complete testing of staff and residents in all of San Francisco’s skilled nursing facilities is the next step in our commitment to vulnerable populations and universal access to testing.”
Colfax said the city's vision is to have universal testing for all San Franciscans.
“To get there, we have continually expanded testing, based on where the need is greatest, and the availability of resources," said Colfax. "Testing asymptomatic residents and staff of skilled nursing facilities is a decisive move to protect these most vulnerable people, and their caregivers, who are at high risk of an outbreak.”
There are 21 skilled nursing facilities in San Francisco, including Laguna Honda Hospital, a unit at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, and the VA Hospital. All the facilities serve some of San Francisco’s most vulnerable populations including older adults and residents with underlying health conditions.
Additionally, the congregate nature of these facilities means residents are living near each other and have extensive casual and close contact with fellow inhabitants and facility staff. Once introduced into a facility, COVID-19 can spread rapidly, and residents are at high risk of becoming seriously ill, or even dying, if they become sick.
Early on, San Francisco issued a Health Order restricting all non-essential visitors from skilled nursing facilities in order to protect the residents and staff from exposure.