Nursing Facilities COVID-19 Testing Program

Nursing home residents are among the most vulnerable populations for COVID-19 and comprise a high percentage of COVID-19 deaths in Ohio. To protect these residents and the staff who take care of them, the presence of COVID-19 in nursing home facilities must be identified so that measures can be put into place to isolate the virus and contain its spread.

Responsible RestartOhio

Testing Order and Guidance

Each nursing home licensed by the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) or certified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), or the Ohio Department of Medicaid shall cooperate with the COVID-19 testing for staff and residents as required by ODH. 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 nursing home facility in Ohio must also require all employees to be tested.

• Director’s Order for the Testing of the Residents and Staff of all Nursing Homes (5/27/2020): Ohio Department of Health
• Joint memo from Ohio Departments of Health and Aging Re: Updated Guidelines for the Testing of the Residents and Staff of All Nursing homes
• Contingency and Crisis Facility Staffing Guidance: Ohio Department of Health

Training and FAQ

• Updated Guidelines for the Testing of the Residents and Staff of all Nursing Homes (Effective Oct. 26, 2020) - Summary
• COVID-19 Testing in Nursing Facilities - Frequently Asked Questions
• Abbot BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Antigen Test Demonstration Video
• Abbot BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 AG Card 
• COVID-19 Anterior Nares Specimen Collection Tutorial
• Long-Term Care Facility Reporting Requirements for COVID-19 POC Antigen Testing Video: Ohio Department of Health

COVID-19 Testing

• Long-Term Care Facility Testing Schedule
• Nursing Facility COVID-19 Testing Opt-In/Opt-Out Survey (Reopens Dec. 1-6, 2020) 

Resources

• Guidance for Electronic Submission of COVID-19 Testing Results: Ohio Department of Health
• State of Ohio COVID-19 Laboratory Registration: Ohio Department of Health
• ODH Lab Portal Bulk Upload Instructions for Users: Ohio Department of Health
• ODH Lab Portal Bulk Upload Dictionary for Users: Ohio Department of Health
• Electronic Lab Submission Form – Instructions for Batch Upload Webinar (October 5, 2020): Ohio Department of Health
• MAKO COVID-19 E-Req Scheduler
• Considerations for Use of SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Testing in Nursing Homes: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• COVID-19 Pre-Surge and Longer Term Planning Toolkit for Long Term Services and Community Supports
• How to Request Resources Through Your County EMA: Ohio Department of Health