Skilled Nursing Facilities COVID-19 Reporting
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

SNF Reporting Schedule

QUESTION: Will facilities be required to report on weekends as well? Or can we wait until Monday?

RESPONSE: CDPH expects facilities to report daily, 7 days a week (Monday – Sunday).

QUESTION: I'm not sure when I need to report

RESPONSE: Please see the schedule below. 

The reporting period due May 15, 2020, 12:00 P.M is the "FRIDAY REPORT".  Please use the SNF COVID-19 Survey 2.0 via the button below.  Submit that report before midnight, May 14, 2020, (before Thursday at midnight), if possible.  This is DAY1 of the new survey.  You will be asked to report cumulative case numbers since January 1, 2020.

The reporting period due May 16, 2020, 12:00 P.M is the "SATURDAY REPORT".  Please use the SNF COVID-19 Survey 2.0 via the button below.  Please submit that report before midnight, May 15, 2020 (before Friday at midnight), if possible.  This is DAY2 of the new survey.  You will be asked to report only new cases since last report.

The reporting period due May 17, 2020, 12:00 P.M is the "SUNDAY REPORT".  Please use the SNF COVID-19 Survey 2.0 via the button below.  Please submit that report before noon on May 17, 2020 (Sunday) and only report new cases since last report.

The reporting period due May 18, 2020, 12:00 P.M is the "MONDAY REPORT".  Please use the SNF COVID-19 Survey 2.0 via the button below.  Please submit that report before noon on May 18, 2020 (MONDAY) and only report new cases since last report.

Survey 2.0 Questions – How to Interpret or How do they differ from CDC/NSNH

QUESTION: DO SNFs have to report other data not being requested by CDPH?

RESPONSE: Reporting to CDPH questions covers all the CDC/NHSN questions.

QUESTION: Why is the reporting from Jan 1 when the CDC requirements are only from May 1?

RESPONSE: The first time you report, CDC is asking for cumulative counts from January 1, 2020.

QUESTION: About ADMISSIONS: Do we need to report those cases that came to facility from hospital with prior covid positive, but have been since tested negative/cleared from infection.? These are residents who were not residents at the time of positive covid test.

RESPONSE: Count these residents as a COVID-related Admission.  If they were never in your facility as a laboratory positive COVID diagnosis, do not count them in the cumulative CONFIRMED count.

QUESTION:  About RESIDENT DEATHS: Are we supposed to report cases who died in acute after we transferred them?

RESPONSE: Yes.

QUESTION: About SUSPECTED CASES: Many of the confirmed COVID-19 residents/staff were once suspected. Would we report them in both buckets?

RESPONSE: No. For SUSPECTED CASES, only report the cases that have NOT had a laboratory positive COVID-19 test results since January 1, 2020.

QUESTION: REPORTING PERIOD: Why doesn't the Survey 2.0 have the toggle question (current or previous reporting period?)

RESPONSE: CDPH expects all facilities to respond timely for the next two days, to keep reporting as clear as possible.

QUESTION: Will the new survey give an option for email confirmation of submission?

RESPONSE: Currently, the user gets a confirmation message on the screen.  We'll ask about email confirmation.

NHSN Registration

QUESTION: If I am already enrolled and reporting is there anything further I need to do?

RESPONSE: Please confer rights to CDPH to upload COVID data on your behalf.    

QUESTION:  My NHSN account is activated. How do I confer rights to upload COVID data to CDPH?

RESPONSE: Please contact COVID-19SNFSURVEY@CDPH.CA.GOV to get the GroupID and password needed to confer rights.

QUESTION: I already registered and submitted data to NHSN for Jan 1 - May 12.  When doing the CDPH survey tomorrow, would I still submit data from Jan 1 - May 13, or for only the 1 day?

RESPONSE: Submit data from Jan 1 – today, the first time you complete CDPH's Survey 2.0.

AFL 20-43.2

QUESTION: What was the new COVID reporting AFL number? 

RESPONSE: AFL 20-43.2 SNF Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Daily Reporting. 

CDPH Contact for COVID-19 Questions

QUESTION: Who can I ask if I have a question about COVID reporting? 

RESPONSE: Please call your District Office and ask for the Single-Point-of Contact for COVID reporting, or contact the CHCQ headquarters help desk, here: COVID-19SNFSURVEY@CDPH.CA.GOV