Governor Edwards hopes in a few weeks nursing homes will be open to visitors once new, fast-acting testing equipment is available. Edwards says the state is trying to supply long-term care facilities with point of care coronavirus diagnostic tests.
“The individuals can schedule a visitation, get a test, within 15 minutes know if they are negative and if so go ahead and conduct their visitation,” said Edwards.
Visitors have been prohibited at nursing homes since the pandemic began.
Edwards says the process has already begun, but he doesn’t have an exact date on when your local nursing home will have the capability to conduct these tests.
“We have received in the last week nine of those machines, those testing devices at nine different homes across the state. We should be receiving many, many more over the next few weeks,” says Edwards.
Edwards says he’s well aware that this is a difficult circumstance as many people with loved ones in nursing homes have been restricted to just phone calls or FaceTime as a way to communicate.
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