AARP Florida: Frail Elders, Care Staff Should Be Among First to Get Rapid-Result Tests

For Immediate Release: Sept. 29, 2020

Contact: Dave Bruns, dbruns@aarp.org, 850.228.2759

Residents and Staff of Elder-Care Facilities Represent 40 percent or More of COVID-19 Deaths, Despite Representing Less Than 2 Percent of All Floridians 

AARP Florida State Director Jeff Johnson issued the following statement today on news that Florida would be receiving sufficient rapid-result test kits for coronavirus to conduct 400,000 tests per day.

“This is great news for Floridians of all ages,” Johnson said. “As state officials move forward with conducting these tests, AARP believes it is important that residents, staff, visitors and vendors to elder-care facilities should be among the first to receive the tests.”

“Elder-care residents and staff make up only two percent of Florida’s population, but they have suffered 40 percent of the deaths to date.  The heaviest burden of the pandemic is falling on our frail elders.  Let’s hope these tests can help keep them and their communities safe.” 

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