By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com


The State of Michigan has updated testing requirements for long-term care facilities.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services on Friday revised its epidemic order for COVID-19 testing to reflect current guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The big change is that effective immediately, fully vaccinated staff no longer must be routinely tested. This extends to staff working skilled nursing facilities, homes for the aged, and adult foster care facilities licensed to care for 13 or more individuals.

MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel said, in a release, that the increases they are seeing in Michiganders receiving the vaccine, including among long-term care patients and staff, has allowed them to make this revision.

Testing will continue to take place for new and returning patients and staff, those showing symptoms regardless of vaccination status, weekly testing in facilities experiencing an outbreak, and weekly testing of all unvaccinated staff.

The state health department reports that more than 289,000 doses of vaccine have been administered to long-term care patients and staff. The latest information about the epidemic can be found at www.Michigan.gov/coronavirus

(Photo: Associated Press - Jean-Francois Bodias)