Butler County reported three new confirmed COVID-19 cases Tuesday as state officials gave an update of universal testing at long-term care facilities.

According to Tuesday's report by the Pennsylvanian Department of Health, the county now has a total of 723 confirmed cases of the virus since the beginning of the pandemic, while the county's death toll remains at 18.

On Tuesday, Secretary of the Department of Human Services Teresa Miller and Secretary of the Department of Health Dr. Rachel Levine updated the public on universal baseline COVID-19 testing in all assisted living residences, personal care homes and private intermediate care facilities.

“We know this is just a step in our continuous work to protect vulnerable residents and staff of long-term care facilities from COVID-19,” Miller said.

Levine had previously signed an expanded testing order, directing personal care homes, assisted living residences and private intermediate care facilities, all of which are overseen by the Department of Human Services, to test all residents and staff at least once by Aug. 31.

The order expanded on the order directing nursing facilities, licensed by the Department of Human Services, to complete initial universal testing as of July 24.

“Universal testing allows us to see a full picture of COVID-19 among some of our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians,” Levine said. “We are pleased by the work done by the facilities and our partners to complete this.”

Since the beginning of the pandemic, according to Department of Health data released Tuesday, 16 nursing homes and personal care homes in Butler County have reported a combined 32 positive cases among residents; 23 positive cases among employees; and three deaths due to COVID-19.

“We must learn from experiences of the last six months and continue to strengthen prevention and response efforts as this pandemic evolves,” Miller said.

Thus far, 5,192 of the 7,691 COVID-19 deaths in the state, about 67.5%, have been in long-term care facilities.

Levine and Miller both said universal testing revealed residents and employees who were positive yet asymptomatic at the time.

“I think that what we've learned is that it's asymptomatic staff who are courageous and brave to be working in those facilities, helping the most vulnerable among us, who unwittingly bring the virus into the facility,” Levine said.

Levine said it is this reason that so much focus has been put into preventing community spread, the likely cause of infection for the asymptomatic employee.

She said the state averages about 22,600 test results received each day, and it continues to improve its testing capacity to help members of the community become further aware of the virus.

“We're still continuing to work to expand our testing capacity,” she said. “We need to expand that more.”