Midmorning With Aundrea - November 18, 2020 (Part 1)

(Part 1 of 4) The U.K. is introducing a mass program in the city of Liverpool to test as many people as possible for COVID-19 without having to send the send the samples off to a lab.

And some hotels have begun testing customers for the coronavirus.

>> how did you the british government is trying to stop the spread of covid-19 infections with a mass testing program in the english city of liverpool.

'operation moonshot' uses test technology from a california company to test as many people as possible, whether they have symptoms or not.

Charlie d'agata reports.

Trt - 1:48 nats..

People ling up to get tested / soldiers doing testing they answered a call to arms. soldiers and civilians alike.

Like teaching assistant jackie vaughan.

We just don't wanna be walking around being non- symptomatic and spreading anything at all.

Liverpool already had one of the highest infection rate when the entire country plunged back into a second lockdown.

Mayor joe anderson said the virus was out of control.

: whilst we've got no vaccine being distributed, circulated yet - it's a tool, it's a tool in the armory, and it means that break in the chain of infection.

About 2,000 members of the military have been deployed to test centers, including liverpool's famed anfield soccer stadium.

The first part of the test is familiar, that rather unpleasant swab test.

Down the throat and up the nose.

The difference is, these results aren't sent off to a lab& they're processed on the spot.

The majority of samples undergo 'lateral flow testing' to determine whether there's covid-19 in the sample in just 20 minutes mine came back negative the government now plans to roll out this pilot program to 67 more areas nationwide before christmas.

Missing this year will be the mayor's older brother.

When you look at my brother's death certificate and it says covid 19 on, that's the reality.

This virus exists.

It's there it takes no prisoners.

It's got no heart.

And it will come for you.

These days you may be getting a test along with your key when you check into a hotel room.

Some brands around the world are offering or requiring guests to get coronavirus tests during their stays to ensure they're not infected.

Wendy gillette reports from the maldives .

Track 1: ramona and rockey reed recently celebrated their first international trip since the pandemic started - a long journey from los angeles to the soneva jani resort in the maldives- an island nation in the indian ocean.

Sot: "i just though where's the most isolated place i could go and still feel like i'm on vacation."

Track 2: the maldives requires a pcr coronavirus test for all tourists no more than 4 days ábeforeá arriving in the country.

As an added layer of precaution, soneva mandates all guests and staff at both its island resorts get tested again upon arrival.

Swabs are taken of the nose and throat.

Ceo sonu shivdasani.

Sot: "i sincerel believe that testing is the way forward, is one of the solutions to covid.

Almost as important as the vaccine."

Track 3: after getting tested, guests quarantine for a night in their villas until negative results are returned.

Sot: "then you have th run of the place.

You don't have to wear masks, you don't have to do anything.

It's actually normalcy.

Back to normal how you remember it.

It's amazing."

Standup: "you also get test five days after arriving at the resort, just to make sure you're still negative.

Ready?"

Track 4: we got special rates to view the process.

The swabs are sent from the resort to a lab built for the testing at a nearby airport.

Other companies, including the resort velaa, are sending tests there for guests who have symptoms. sot: "we keep th island safe and so far we didn't have any case of the covid and we are proud of that."

Track 5: there are a handful of other brands around the world providing testing for guests.

Room mate hotels started offering free rapid antigen tests last month in spain and plans to eventually addlocations including new york and miami.

Wynn resorts in las vegas is building its own on-site lab to test guests - with a launch tentatively set before thanksgiving.

Shivdasani is surprised more hotels haven't instituted testing.

Sot: "it delivers fo everyone, a peace of mind."

Track 6: &what many of us are craving these days.

Wendy gillette, cbs news, the maldives.

Corona- virus cases at nursing homes are spiking again.

In the first week of november, new cases tied to nursing homes surpassed 24- thousand.

That's the worst it's been since early august.

Carter evans reports from salt lake city.

Craig watson visted his mother rae at the avalon valley rehabilitation center in salt lake city every sunday until early march& when the facility closed to visitors.

I had no idea i would never see her again.

Almost five months later - rae tested positive for coronavirus.

Watson could only say goodbye over facetime... the night before she passed away.

What's your favorite memory of your mom?

She was a character.

I mean, my favorite memory of her is her personality.

She was always good and up for anything.

// and she was just a lot of fun.

And i miss that.

While most facilities have banned outside visitors& residents are still at risk of being exposed to the virus through unknowing caretakers.

It's frustrating for us because we couldn't see her // but there's people from the outside that are that are probably more likely exposed than we are going in there every day.

We cannot create a bubble around the elderly folks living in nursing homes.

Rebecca gorges' studies public health policy at the university of chicago.

In a newly published paper& she looked at six states currently experiencing surges & including utah.

As cases in the community rose & she found weekly cases among nursing home staff more than tripled& and resident cases more than quadrupled from june to october.

We find that community spread is the largest predictor of which nursing homes experience cases and then which nursing home experience a severe outbreak with lots of deaths.

Part of the solution includes rapid testing of staff on site.

87 percent of nursing homes now have access to rapid testing machines.

But a kaiser health news study says concerns about accuracy& and a shortage of testing supplies&have prompted many facilities to continue to send samples to laboratories.

Experts believe eliminating test delays and reducing community spread are critical to reducing nursing home infections.

I just think it's common sense to do everything we can, whether you believe it's political or not political// it just seems common sense to to protect the most vulnerable among us.

The avalon valley rehabilitation center says it cannot comment on individual patients.

The center says that like other facilities, it works with outside contract health care professions like therapy staff to give residents the care they need and deserve.the center says its screening protocols are in full compliance with federal standards, and it is thankful for recent increased testing capabilities.

Carter evan, cbs news, salt lake city.

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