OKEECHOBEE — Testing of all patients and staff at the Okeechobee Health Care Facility for the COVID-19 virus has been completed.

According to OHCF spokes person Jennifer Williamson, tests on 231 staff members and 163 residents were collected by 7:10 p.m. Friday, April 24.

The main person in charge of testing the facility from the governor’s office arrived Friday ahead of the team, said Ms. Williamson Friday afternoon. “He trained our nurses on how to administer the test, and we began testing.”

OHCF nurses tested 231 staff and 106 residents. Five nurses from the state testing team arrived around 6 p.m. Friday and completed testing the remaining 57 residents.

When they first learned the staff member was COVID-19 positive, OHCF secured the unit where the positive staff member was working. Only staff assigned to that unit are permitted entrance.

All residents on that unit will be quarantined for 14 days.

When the test results come back, it will more than double the number of persons tested in the county. As of Saturday, April 25, Okeechobee County had 325 people tested for COVID-19, with 314 negative, nine positive and two awaiting test results.

OHCF staffers were told it will take two to five days to get the test results back.