Residential Care Facilities COVID-19 Testing Program

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that due to the congregate nature and population served, residential care facilities are at high risk for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, spreading among their residents.  Often, when a new-onset infection is identified, there are others in the facility who are also infected but who do not yet have symptoms.  Rapid action to identify, isolate, and test others who might be infected is critical to prevent COVID-19 spread in residential care facilities.

The state of Ohio has partnered with MAKO Medical to provide supported testing services for the state’s residential care facilities. Through this program, facilities will receive support with testing including training, access to test kits, lab capacity, and management of results via online portal.

Responsible RestartOhio

Testing Order and Guidance

Each residential care facility (also known as assisted living) licensed by the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) shall cooperate with COVID-19 testing for residents and staff as required by the State. This includes, but is not limited to, strategic testing of residents to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within a facility and a community. Each residential care facility in Ohio must also require all staff to be tested.

• Director’s Order for the Testing of the Residents and Staff of all Residential Care Facilities (8/20/2020): Ohio Department of Health
• Contingency and Crisis Facility Staffing Guidance: Ohio Department of Health

Training and FAQ

• Sept. 18, 2020 Residential Care Facilities Testing and Reporting Webinar Presentation Slides
• COVID-19 Testing in Assisted Living Facilities - Frequently Asked Questions
• MAKO Fact Sheet
• MAKO Registration and Ordering Page
• MAKO COVID-19 E-Req Scheduler
• MAKO Checking Results
• MAKO COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions
• COVID-19 Anterior Nares Specimen Collection Tutorial
• Anterior Nares Collection Guide
• FedEx Express Shipping Instructions

COVID-19 Testing

• Long-Term Care Facility Testing Schedule
• Ohio COVID-19 Testing Cycle and Reporting Period
• Ohio COVID-19 Reporting Tool
• MAKO Provider Results Portal

If you need assistance with the MAKO Medical portal, please contact the MAKO team directly at RNibert@makomedical.com or JTucker@makomedical.com.

If you have programmatic questions not otherwise addressed on this page, please contact the Ohio Department of Aging at COVIDTesting@age.ohio.gov. 

Other Resources

• How to Request Resources Through Your County EMA: Ohio Department of Health
• COVID-19 Pre-Surge and Longer Term Planning Toolkit for Long Term Services and Community Supports