The National Guard, armed with coronavirus testing kits, is bound for Sunrise Senior Living facility in Arlington Thursday.
Ten residents at the facility have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, according to the town's website. Overall, 99 people in Arlington have tested positive for the disease.
Officials from the town as well as the facility have asked for help from the state, which has deployed the National Guard to conduct coronavirus testing at nursing homes and assisted living facilities throughout Massachusetts.
Twelve teams of National Guard members have been collecting samples at hundreds of nursing homes throughout the state since March 31, collecting over 4,500 tests, according to Gov. Charlie Baker.
The efforts aim to expand testing throughout the state while minimizing the chance of exposing or spreading the virus since some residents can’t get to a testing site safely.
Baker is ramping up such testing, he said Wednesday, putting $130 million in new funding toward nursing homes and assisted living facilities for coronavirus response.
The National Guard collects the test samples, which are administered by medical professionals at the facility, and delivers them to the state health lab. The results are said to come back in 48 hours.
