During this critical time, Home Health Care News remains committed to bringing you all the essential news related to home-based care operations. At the same time, we also recognize the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to our regular content, we’ll continue to highlight industry-related developments and mitigation strategies in this rolling bulletin.

What you need to know from Monday (May 11):

— A mysterious condition associated with the COVID-19 outbreak has killed three children in New York and sickened 73 others, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said over the weekend. Some compare the condition to Kawasaki disease. As health care officials investigate, pediatric home health providers may want to start taking further precautionary measures.

— The American Health Care Association (AHCA) and National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) responded to the White House coronavirus task force’s recommendation for states to test all nursing home residents and staff for new coronavirus cases within the next two weeks. “Our nursing homes and assisted living communities that have undertaken expanded testing have found a high number of residents and staff who are positive, but without symptoms,” Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of both AHCA and NCAL, said in a statement. “Without access to more testing, long-term care providers are at a severe disadvantage in identifying more of these asymptomatic residents and staff who could be contagious and an endangerment to others.”

— Despite more rigorous and available testing in other countries, the Trump administration on Monday said “America leads the world in testing.” LeadingAge President and CEO Katie Smith Sloan pushed back on that claim. “After months of  pleading for help with access to testing and personal protective equipment (PPE), nursing homes and other aging services providers were desperately awaiting word from the White House today that their voices had been heard — and that help would be on the way,” she said in a statement. “Instead, we heard that ‘we have prevailed’ on testing, but wishing does not make it so.”

— Speaking of testing, the FDA has issued emergency approval of a new antigen test that is reportedly cheaper, faster and simpler than existing tests.

— Some legal experts are predicting an increase in home health bankruptcies due to the coronavirus, HHCN reported Monday. Since the virus took hold, commercial bankruptcies across all industries have increased.

For daily updates from the week of May 4, click here.

For daily updates from the week of April 27, click here.

For daily updates from the week of April 20, click here.

For daily updates from the week of April 13, click here.

For daily updates from the week of April 6, click here.

For daily updates from the week of March 30, click here.

For daily updates from the week of March 23, click here.

For daily updates from the week of March 16, click here.

HHCN encourages you to reach out to us individually or at [email protected] for story ideas, tips or general feedback.