Trump vows additional coronavirus help to hard-hit elderly, assisted-living facilities

President Trump said Wednesday that his administration is providing additional support to nursing- and long-term, assisted-living facilities, where nearly half of the estimated 143,000 coronavirus deaths in the U.S. have occurred. 

“We have pinpointed the problem spots,” Trump said during his White House coronavirus task force briefing. “I want to send a message of hope and support.”

The president said his administration will:

• Increase the testing of nursing home personnel in hard-hit states
• Send an additional 15,000 quick-result, virus test kits 
• Distribute an additional $5 million in Department of Health and Human Services funds to nursing homes for such use as additional staffing and improved patients’ ability to connect with family members
• Identify high-risk facilities and enter them into a shared database 

Trump spoke in his second consecutive task force briefing, after a nearly three-month break. Parts of the country have in recent weeks had virus outbreaks, particularly in the South and Southwest.