Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) has reported that 100% of nursing home residents in facilities with 25 or more beds have now been tested for COVID-19. This key milestone marks a 12% improvement in one week. Additionally, staff testing in nursing homes is up 12% week-over-week.

Across all long-term care facilities with 25 beds or more, 77% of residents and 57% of staff members have now been tested, both of which are up 9% in the last week.

"From the start of our fight with COVID-19, we have remained vigilant in protecting Georgia's most vulnerable populations, including those in our long-term care facilities," said Governor Kemp. "This milestone marks an important victory in that mission, but rest assured, we will not take our foot off the gas. In the days and weeks ahead, we will continue to ensure that vulnerable Georgians have the care and resources that they need as we work to limit exposure and spread. I commend the hard work of all of the public health officials and National Guard troops who helped our state reach this important goal."

On June 4, 2020, DCH began reporting on residents recovered across all long-term care facilities with 25 beds or more. Recovered residents data is the cumulative number of residents who previously tested positive for COVID-19 who have now recovered from the virus based on subsequent negative tests, absence of symptoms, or other appropriate criteria as assessed by the facility or otherwise ascertained.

In DCH’s initial report on residents recovered, 2,759 residents had recovered from COVID-19 out of 6,040 cumulative residents who had tested positive. In DCH’s June 15 report, 3,518 residents have recovered from COVID-19 out of 6,402 total residents who have tested positive.