Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Testing requirements, local positivity rate forcing CMHC to dole out $6,000 per week
A high COVID-19 positivity rate in O'Brien County is forcing a local nursing home to fork over cash to meet testing requirements.
O'Brien County's 14-day COVID-19 positivity rate has been stuck at well over 10 percent for the past several weeks. Per federal guidelines, that means nursing homes like Community Memorial Health Center in Hartley must rapid-test staff members twice a week, which is resulting in a $6,000 bill every seven days for the local facility.
"We're hoping our financial strife will help affect peoples' behavior," said CMHC Administrator Dr. Janette Simon. "I don't think peopl...