Closeup of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) (Credit: SOPA Images / Contributor / Getty Images)

A national senior living association is calling for other states and the federal government to follow suit after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said his state would provide up to 1 million rapid COVID-19 tests as needed for residents of assisted living communities and nursing homes.

DeSantis announced the test distribution Thursday during a meeting with leaders in Florida’s senior living and care industry, where he discussed allocating resources for high-value testing.

“We are redoubling our commitment to putting seniors first by prioritizing the delivery of test kits to assisted living facilities and nursing homes,” he said in a statement. “We’ve secured up to 1 million tests to be used for those most vulnerable to coronavirus complications, allowing us to put seniors first for early treatments which save lives.”

More than 20% of Florida’s population is aged 65 or more years.

Florida has 3,000 assisted living communities and 700 nursing homes. DeSantis said the state will distribute tests based on bed numbers. The tests are meant for symptomatic residents, and facilities can request more tests, if needed.

National association Argentum praised its Sunshine State affiliate, the Florida Senior Living Association, for urging the governor to get rapid tests to assisted living communities and called for other states and the federal government to follow Florida’s actions. 

“As the omicron variant engulfs the country, it is residents in senior living who are most in the crosshairs of this virus, and that is the reason we have worked aggressively to get the federal government and states to put seniors first,” Argentum President and CEO James Balda said in a statement. “If all states, and notably the Biden administration, would support assisted living residents like Florida has today in this ongoing fight with testing, vaccine and treatment support, it would be a lot easier to protect our residents.”

LeadingAge Florida President and CEO Steve Bahmer said he was grateful to DeSantis for continuing to “put seniors first.”

“Our members serve the most vulnerable population, and testing is critical for them to identify residents or staff that may have the virus, slow the spread of the virus and ultimately save lives,” Bahmer said in a statement

DeSantis criticized the federal response to the pandemic in part for encouraging “low-value testing of healthy, asymptomatic young people to essentially conduct surveillance testing not contingent on exposure, driving up demand for tests” at a time when tests are difficult to find for the average person.

When asked about the governor’s comments at a media briefing on Thursday, Biden administration Press Secretary Jen Psaki said: “I would say it’s pretty rich coming from Governor DeSantis, given he is somebody who has been … not exactly advocating for people in his state to get vaccinated, which we know is the way that people can be protected, ways that lives can be saved. And if he wants to be a constructive part of this process, then perhaps he should encourage what scientists say is the best way to save lives, prevent and reduce hospitalization, and that is getting vaccinated and getting boosted.”

Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, M.D, Ph.D., echoed DeSantis’ position in a statement. “Those that are at high risk for COVID-19, such as seniors and immunocompromised individuals, should be prioritized for testing and treatment,” he said, adding that the state has requested 30,000 doses of monoclonal antibody treatments from the federal government.

The same day as DeSantis made the testing-related announcement, the Florida Department of Health updated its COVID-19 testing guidance and recommendations. The state now recommends testing soon after symptom onset for individuals with symptoms and risk factors for severe illness, including older adults and the immunocompromised, as well as symptomatic individuals with no risk factors. The state DOH does not recommend testing for individuals who were exposed to the virus but do not have symptoms.

The White House is finalizing a plan to send Americans free COVID-19 rapid tests.