Long-term care facilities across the state received word that mass testing will arrive soon.

In a news conference Tuesday, Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said an advisory was sent to long-term care facilities informing them of new coronavirus data reporting requirements and future mass testing needs.

“This strategy focuses on ensuring testing is accessible, available and adaptable to the evolving landscape of this virus,” Levine said.

A long-term care facility includes nursing homes, personal care homes and assisted living facilities. Nursing homes are overseen by the state Department of Health. Personal care homes and assisted-living facilities are overseen by the state Department of Human Services.

In a call with media Tuesday morning, Gov. Tom Wolf said nursing homes are an area of concern worldwide pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wolf said part of the plan involves testing employees and clients once per week at long-term care facilities. He said the additional measure should complement the guidance and personal protective equipment the state worked to provide for facilities.

“There are a lot of long-term care facilities in Pennsylvania,” Wolf said. “The testing is just one more thing we're doing.”

Beverly McCanch's husband, George, is a resident at Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Butler and has Alzheimer's disease. The Butler woman said while testing patients is nice, she is more grateful the plan includes testing employees, who leave the facility every night and could bring the virus back into work with them.

“That would probably give us all ease of mind,” McCanch said. “That's our biggest worry.”

[naviga:h3]More help[/naviga:h3]

In addition to testing once per week, residents hospitalized for any reason will need to be tested before returning to the care facility.

Levine said this allows the facility to prepare the proper conditions to bring the client back.

Such testing was unavailable before due to constraints on testing materials, according to Levine, adding how the state has seen a significant increase in testing materials in the past two weeks.

“To accomplish all of this we will be using testing swabs provided to us from the federal government for facilities who do not have enough supply as well as testing resources available at our state facilities and commercial laboratories,” Levine said.

With staffing also a concern in many long-term care facilities, Randy Padfield, director of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, said his department, along with the help of the U.S. National Guard, will be assisting where they are needed.

Padfield said the National Guard has more than 150 members who are medically trained and many more who can stand in day-to-day to offset staffing concerns. He said the National Guard will also play a large role in mass testing where facilities are unable to do so on their own.

“They are really well-positioned and trained to be able to provide these services,” Padfield said.

[naviga:h3]Data reporting[/naviga:h3]

In addition to testing, the state will also require nursing homes to report deaths, positive COVID-19 cases and tests performed using the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Reporting System, the same system that hospitals use. This reporting requirement begins May 17.

“This information will be reported publicly through press conferences and on our website,” Levine said.

McCanch said she hopes the new data will mean more communication to the families of residents. She said families of everyone in the facilities should be told when positive cases are confirmed.

“To hear it on the news is very shocking,” she said.

Levine said her department is also collaborating with the Department of Human Services to help it provide the same data. She said the data was unavailable before because her department was waiting on the federal government.

“We were waiting for the federal government's guidance on exactly what their recommendations were in terms of the data to release, and now we are going to implement that release,” Levine said.

While testing and new data are forthcoming, Levine said it is vital that people continue to distance themselves from those at risk.

“Continue to maintain social distancing no matter what stage of reopening your county is in,” she said. “We need to all work together to do our best to protect these vulnerable people in these facilities.”

[naviga:h3]Criminal neglect[/naviga:h3]

In a news release Tuesday, Attorney General Josh Shapiro said his office opened criminal investigations over the past several weeks into several Pennsylvania nursing homes.

While the Department of Health has primary regulating and licensing authority of nursing homes throughout the commonwealth, the attorney general's Care-Dependent Neglect Team, within the Medicaid Fraud Control Section, has jurisdiction on matters of criminal neglect.

“We will hold nursing facilities and caretakers criminally accountable if they fail to properly provide care to our loved ones,” Shapiro said. “While we salute and appreciate nursing home staff on the front lines during this pandemic, we will not tolerate those who mistreat our seniors and break the law.”

While McCanch did not accuse any facility of neglect, she said there are areas where long-term care facilities could improve during the pandemic. She said she thinks Alzheimer's patients are spending too much time sitting around and hopes homes find a way to get their residents more active.

“I know it's difficult because they're trying to keep them six feet apart, but you can do something,” McCanch said. “The whole home needs it.”

The following numbers about the coronavirus pandemic are compiled daily from the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s website and regular releases from Butler Health System.Tuesday’s COVID-19 statistics:Butler CountyConfirmed cases: 198Negative tests: 2,799Deaths: 7County Long TermAffected facilities: 6Cases: 13Cases of employees: 10Deaths: 2PennsylvaniaNew cases: 837Total cases: 57,991New deaths: 75Total deaths: 3,806Negative tests: 237,989Surrounding CountiesAllegheny: 1,526 confirmed cases, 20,058 negative test results, and 127 deathsArmstrong: 55 confirmed, 875 negative, and 5 deathsBeaver: 493 confirmed, 2,513 negative, and 78 deathsClarion: 23 confirmed, 559 negative, and 2 deathsLawrence: 71 confirmed, 922 negative, and 7 deathsMercer: 77 confirmed, 957 negative, and 2 deathsVenango: 7 confirmed and 307 negativeWestmoreland: 419 confirmed, 6,052 negative, and 30 deaths- The total cases includes confirmed and probable cases.- The total deaths and new deaths include only confirmed deaths, which is a person who tested positive for the virus before their death.