COVID-19 Testing
The latest infomation about getting your staff and residents tested for COVID-19
Coronavirus (COVID-19) tests for adult social care - guide (12/05/20)
This chart outlines the different routes to testing staff and residents.
New - testing kit ordering portal for care homes (12/05/20)
The online portal that makes it easy for care homes to arrange deliveries of coronavirus test kits has now been launched. All symptomatic and asymptomatic care home staff and residents in England are eligible for testing. Testing will be prioritised for care homes that look after the over 65s or people with dementia.
Detailed guidance has been produced for care home managers. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested#care-home
There are 2 types of test kits delivered to care homes:
- Randox test kits
- all other types, known as Kingfisher test kits
The test kits look similar and test for whether someone currently has coronavirus in the same way. You will be told which test kits you will be using when you receive confirmation of your delivery. All of these kits are throat and nose swab tests and will tell a person whether they had coronavirus at the time the test took place. They cannot tell a person if they have had coronavirus in the past.
A tutorial video is also available to guide staff through the swab collection process. https://youtu.be/1l0jcv37WzI
Test results for residents will be communicated to the care home managers. This information will also be provided to councils in order to help manage coronavirus outbreaks in local areas.
Letter to care managers from Norfolk County Council and Norfolk & Waveney CCG and testing flowchart (7/5/20)
Letter for care homes dated 7/5/20
Letter for home care providers dated 7/5/20
Care Home Suspected Covid-19 Case Reporting and Support Flow Chart
