LITTLE VALLEY — Cattaraugus County Administrator Jack Searles said Friday a plan was submitted to the state for testing county nursing home employees twice a week — at a cost expected to be more than $300,000 a month.
Despite agreeing with the need to protect the most vulnerable members of society, who have been hit hard by the coronavirus, Searles said he has logistical and financial concerns.
A team of county officials worked much of the week to address Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s executive order regarding nursing home testing.
They were getting quotes from private vendors for the COVID-19 tests and processing — along with people seeking the same services for the rest of the 185,000 nursing home employees in the state, Searles said.
“We’ve got 379 nursing home employees that would need to be tested,” Searles said. “That’s 758 tests a week at $100 a test.”
That adds up to $75,800 a week. It’s not on the county nursing homes budget, but it’s a condition of each nursing home license.
It’s a mandate that needs to be provided, the county administrator said. “And you have to find the money to provide the service.”
Nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other senior care facilities across the state are hoping the state plans to help pay for the testing, Searles added.
“That’s a massive number of tests and it comes at a time when we and others have a very hard time finding tests,” he said. “Every single nursing home in the state is scrambling to try and find tests and capacity. I’m not sure the capacity is there. Everyone is doing their level best trying to find someone.”
Searles said the nursing home testing would surpass the amount the county has to do community testing. The county Health Department relies on the state’s Wadsworth Lab in Albany. That lab will not be doing nursing home testing, too.
“It’s a Catch-22 type of situation,” Searles said. “It’s an executive order with the weight of law and resources are scarce. Doing the tests is not the issue, it’s who is going to process the tests.”
Searles said there is support by county lawmakers to propose a resolution asking the governor if testing could be once a week instead of twice.
In addition, testing nursing home employees twice a week may interfere with some other testing, Searles said.
A woman from the southwest portion of Cattaraugus County has become the 50th county resident to test positive for COVID-19. She was in contact with a known COVID-19-positive individual.
County health officials began contact tracing and the woman was quarantined in her home. An initial test May 6 was negative, but she later developed a fever, dry cough and sore throat. A second test reported Friday was positive.
As of Friday, there were 15 active COVID-19 cases, including a 91-year-old woman who was admitted to the hospital. Thirty-one people have recovered.
There are 87 in quarantine and more than 2,234 tests administered. There have been 1,835 negative results.
To call for a drive-thru COVID-19 test whether or not you have symptoms, call the county’s Emergency Operations Center at 938-9119 to get a reservation.
(Contact reporter Rick Miller at rmiller@oleantimesherald.com. Follow him on Twitter, @RMillerOTH)
