Over the following several weeks, the state Department of Health will send strike teams – launched in collaboration with the National Guard – to four long-term care facilities in Montgomery County, writes Allison Steele for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The teams are being sent out to a small number of facilities statewide and are prioritizing the facilities with early and recent outbreaks. They will then conduct assessments and assist with testing for residents and staff.

So far, more than 85 percent of the COVID-19 related deaths in the county have been among residents of long-term care facilities.

Montgomery County chair Valerie Arkoosh, a doctor with an extensive background in public health, urged residents to wear masks to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus between people who might not be exhibiting any symptoms.

Arkoosh and vice-chair Ken Lawrence have also delayed the distribution of Memorial Day flags for cemeteries until later this summer for health safety reasons, a decision opposed by Commissioner Joe Gale.

Read more about the strike teams at The Philadelphia Inquirer by clicking here.

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