Michigan National Guard helps COVID-19 testing at senior living centers in Oakland County

OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - Oakland County announced that the Michigan National Guard is helping to test residents and workers at senior independent living facilities.

On Thursday Michigan National Guard representatives met with staff from the Oakland County Emergency Operation Center to work out details of providing several teams to help with testing at all 117 of these facilities in the county. 

"We discovered a big gap for testing at our independent living facilities because they don't have on site medical staff," said Oakland County Executive David Coulter.

Earlier Coulter announced the health division was working with EMS and fire departments to get the job but now is expanding that effort. So far, five facilities have already been tested

"Forty-nine residents tested positive for COVID-19, a number of them, didn't have symptoms," Coulter said.

Oakland County now has drive-thru testing sites in Pontiac, Novi and Southfield. Essential and front line workers can get tested there without a prescription.

Churches like Triumph for example in Detroit, is offering testing. Some drug stores and urgent cares are also picking up testing slack deemed important for the continual re-opening of the economy in Michigan. Governor Whitmer spoke with FOX 2 today about it.

"Our goal is to be at about 15,000 tests a day," Whitmer said. "And that is something we are getting closer to. We had our all-time high of 13,000 the other day. We are starting to ramp up but the supply chain issue is one of the things that I think, is holding us back from doing everything that we are currently capable of."

The governor also said testing capabilities are being hampered by not being able to get specific swabs for specific tests across the state.