MIDLAND, Texas — Midland Memorial Hospital CEO Russell Meyers announced a plan aimed at testing all nursing home employees and residents in the county for COVID-19 in a Midland Health update press conference on Thursday.
The Midland Fire Department will also play a major role in testing for the four Midland County nursing homes which had not already begun administering tests for residents and employees.
MFD will be coordinating with the state to provide and deliver the testing equipment and personal protective equipment that will be needed at each facility.
The health department has also trained retirement home staff on proper testing procedures in order to expedite the testing process, meaning most of the testing will be done by staff already employed by each facility.
Midland Health staff will also be evaluating the nursing homes to ensure that each has implemented optimal social distancing layouts for residents.
The Village at Manor Park has already completed testing many of their residents and employees, and Midland Medical Lodge, the source of a large percentage of positive tests within Midland County, has recently completed fully testing all staff and employees. Both facilities will not have to reexamine any residents or employees who have already tested.
Meyers and Midland Health are acting according to new orders from Governor Abbott last week which called for all state nursing homes that had not already undergone testing to do so.
The full press conference can be found below including updates from Mayor Patrick Payton. Meyers shares details for the testing plan around five minutes into the video.