The Michigan National Guard is assisting with COVID-19 testing in Allegan County nursing homes. The Allegan County Health Department has released the following statement:
In effort to increase COVID-19 testing across Michigan, Allegan County Health Department (ACHD) has partnered with the Michigan National Guard and our long term care facilities to test staff and residents in Allegan County. This testing is voluntarily and the partnership provides the supplies and resources that have been a barrier to implement this type of testing previously. Testing our vulnerable populations will help continue to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Allegan County.
For many weeks, ACHD has been focused on protecting residents of long-term care facilities from potential outbreaks of COVID-19 by investigating cases and close contacts, educating staff on best practices for infection prevention, and providing resources including personal protective equipment (PPE) where needed. The Michigan National Guard will provide the largest one-day mass testing event to date in Allegan County on Wednesday, June 3 to test staff and residents in long-term care facilities, where the risk of spreading an infection is high. It is estimated that 1,200 staff and residents will be tested for COVID-19 in this mass testing event.
ACHD and its partners understand the ongoing impact COVID-19 will have on the vulnerable populations in Allegan County. Older adults, those with underlying medical conditions, and individuals living in congregate settings are at a particular elevated risk for severe illness associated with COVID-19.
For questions, residents can call the ACHD COVID-19 Hotline at 269-686-4546. The hotline is operating Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm. Find more information regarding testing availability at www.michigan.gov/coronavirustest.
