Facility to get rapid coronavirus testing machines

Facility to get rapid coronavirus testing machines

You're taking a live look outside "signature healthcare of whitesburg gardens" -- where tonight -- we learned a new, faster way to test residents for coronavirus is on the way.

This comes as we learned 14 residents and 5 employees tested positive for coronavirus recently at the long-term care facility.

Thank you for joining us tonight -- i'm najahe sherman.

And i'm dan shaffer.

That facility tests residents and employees for coronavirus once a week.

But -- that will change now that signature healthcare was added to a list of facilities set to receive rapid coronavirus testing machines from the federal government.

Waay31's megan reyna is live outside the facility... she explains why one family believes this is a victory in the fight against the coronavirus.

Earlier today i spoke with a woman named maureen lokken.

Her 92-year-old aunt is currently in an isolated portion of this facility because just this week she tested positive for coronavirus.

Now lokken isn't upset with the facility -- but was concerned her aunt's weekly test results weren't coming back fast enough.

Lokken says:"you cry a lot, you try not to.

" this is how maureen lokken describes dealing with having someone you love isolated inside a nursing facility.

Since march -- lokken's aunt has been inside this long-term care facility... with no in person visits.

A policy in place to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

Nats unfortunately, that wasn't enough.

Lokken's aunt is currently being treated at the facility for coronavirus.

But before these results came back -- lokken was already concerned about how long it took to get weekly test results back.

Lokken says:"so you've got people sacrificing greatly, but we aren't doing what we need to do to get the resources to protect the patients."

She says since march she has been in contact with the facility -- and even the corporate office regarding testing.

Then by the begining of august -- a small victory.

She said the facility began getting results back in 24 hours.

However -- that didn't last long.

Lokken says:"for probably 3 weeks, we've been back to the 5 to 6 days and i'm not sure if i can speak to all the knowledge of why the corporate facility changed it."

But more change should be coming -- signature healthcare is on the centers for medicare and medicaid services list to recieve a rapid testing machine.

A spokesperson with the alabama nursing home assocaition says it should recieve it by the end of september.

A sign of relief for lokken as she awaits her aunt's recovery.

Lokken says:"the people that are there and with what they've got to work with, they are doing a tremendous job."

Now i did reach out multiple times to the corporate office for signature healthcare and haven't heard back regarding the rapid testing machines.

But this is just one of more than 30 nursing homes across north alabama on the list to receive those machines.

Reporting live in hsv