Recommendations for long-term care facilities

This webpage provides up-to-date resources to assist long-term care facilities in their response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Long-term care facilities are at high risk for severe COVID-19 outbreaks due to their congregate nature and vulnerable population (e.g., older adults with multiple co-morbidities). They play a critical role in the COVID-19 response.

State of Washington has launched a phone hotline for questions about long-term care facilities; call 888-856-5691 (open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily).

Letters to the administrators of long-term care facilities, from Health Officer, Dr. Jeff Duchin:

• COVID-19 testing protocol for residents and staff of LTCFs (Updated 4/23/2020)
  Public Health recommends long-term care facilities take all potential steps to identify infections early. This includes, when possible, testing all residents and staff on a voluntary basis even before a case has been confirmed in the facility in order to identify unrecognized cases and facilitate disease control measures. Read the full letter of recommendations.
  
  
• All deaths in residents of licensed LTCFs to be reported (Updated 4/27/2020)
  In order to identify the extent of the COVID-19 pandemic in Seattle and King County, Public Health is requesting that all deaths in residents of licensed long-term care facilities be reported to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office (MEO) to determine if post-mortem COVID-19 testing is indicated. Read the full letter for MEO’s reporting process.