After calling on President Donald Trump to ensure that nursing homes immediately report coronavirus infections and deaths to the families of residents, Congresswoman Grace Meng announced on April 20 that the Trump Administration has agreed to implement the new rule.
On April 18, Meng sent a letter to the president calling for family members of nursing residents to be swiftly notified of any COVID-19 cases.
Under the new order from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, nursing homes must inform the Centers for Disease Control, residents, and their loved-ones representatives within 12 hours.
“Family members of nursing home residents have a right to know this information,” Meng said. “It will help ensure that they can do everything possible to protect their loved ones, and it will go a long way towards controlling and preventing the spread of the illness. We must do all we can to safeguard the health and safety of our elderly population.”
According to Meng, Trump also agreed to use the Defense Production Act (DPA) to boost the manufacturing of swabs that are needed to increase COVID-19 testing.
Meng has consistently urged the president to use the DPA to ramp up testing.
“I am also pleased that the president, as I have implored him to do, will use the Defense Production Act to increase testing,” Meng said. “We need the DPA desperately in our fight against COVID-19. President Trump’s decision to invoke it for coronavirus tests is welcome news but it should have been done weeks ago. The president must now follow through to make sure this actually happens, and I will watch closely to ensure that it does.”
