As the coronavirus has spread to long-term care facilities in Vermont, the state is ramping up testing in those institutions.
Starting Monday, staff at assisted living and residential care facilities in Vermont will be tested for the coronavirus twice a week using a PCR test, said Human Services Secretary Mike Smith on Friday.
The state will also make antigen tests available to such facilities to use upon identification of symptomatic residents or staff and rapid antigen tests to test staff daily at all skilled nursing facilities, he said. The state is also implementing weekly PCR testing for those staff, he said.
On Saturday, the Vermont Health Department reported 127 new cases of the virus, bringing the statewide total since the pandemic began to just under 4,900 cases.
The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Vermont did not increase over the past two weeks, going from 103.14 on Nov. 20 to 92.57 on Dec. 4.
There are currently 22 people hospitalized, including four in intensive care.
The number of deaths from COVID-19 increased to 79, up two from the number reported Friday.
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