The city of Seattle announced Monday the creation of two mobile assessment teams that will test residents for coronairus, particularly focusing on senior and long-term care facilities.
Each team consists of three Seattle Fire Department paramedics and has the ability to test up to 120 people per day.
“With our limited testing capacity, I’ve advocated prioritizing testing for our most vulnerable residents, the people who care for them, and our first responders who are hard at work protecting us,” said Mayor Durkan.
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So far, the teams have been sent to three long-term care facilities and have tested more than 500 people.
A press release said that nearly half of coronavirus-related deaths in Seattle have been associated with long-term care facilities.
"By implementing the Mobile Assessment Teams, we can utilize our trained paramedics and EMTs to test patients and staff at our most vulnerable facilities to help slow the transmission of this disease,” said Fire Chief Harold Scoggins.
The city also added capacity to the testing site for first responders and city employees.
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