ANNAPOLIS, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has issued an executive order requiring "universal testing" at all nursing homes just days after the Department of Health began releasing data related to COVID-19 at longterm care facilities in the state.
RELATED: Maryland Department of Health releases nursing home data related to COVID-19 pandemic
Hogan said in a Wednesday afternoon press conference that nursing homes will be prioritized based on immenient outbreak or
it will be mandatory for all facilities to cooperate with strike teams.
Physicians will also be required to evaluate all residents on a daily basis, according to Hogan.
"We should expect to see the number of cases rise among residents and staff. We are requiring all these facilities to establish emergency surge staffing plans," said Hogan.
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Hogan also announced that the state's strike teams with bridge teams will provide staffing, which will include a registered nurse and five to seven aids who have been contracted with the Department of Health and are ready to be deployed statewide.
The executive order also requires nursing homes to keep families informed.
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For weeks, FOX 5 has been following a coronavirus outbreak at a senior living facility in Charles County.
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