Counties await state guidance on nursing home testing

Gov.

Andrew Cuomo said all employees at nursing homes must be tested twice per week, but has not yet issued procedural guidance to localities.

Home staff will be tested twice a week.

On tuesday in the county executive's press conference i asked what the procedure would be...at that point the county was waiting for guidance.

I just want to take a moment to show you something....this pie chart....the light blue section is people who are positive outside of faclities...thats about 31 percent.

The dark blue which is a pretty big slice...that's nursing home...over 12 percent.

Today the governor said that the employees would not have to pay for the test....but there are still many questions the state has not answered.

I know that phyllis has a call as soon as we're done with state health to gere guidance on that...we'll know more abnout it.

We've been in contact with the nursing homes to work with them to get their employees tested in the manor in which the governor outlined.

Its another one of those orders that came upon everybody without a lot of guidance so we have to track it down.

Picente went on to say its the county's goal to help get them tested because it matters in regards to testing capacity in phase one...the details, he says, could come as early as tomorrow.

So here are the numbers for oneida county today...we are up to