After a year of restrictions imposed on nursing home visitations because of COVID-19, some visits may now start occurring again.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released new guidance Wednesday, effective immediately.
The new guidance allows indoor and outdoor visits for all residents, except in limited circumstances. They said infection prevention protocols are still in place and must be followed by all visitors and that visitation is allowed regardless of vaccination status.
They add limitations on visitation may occur: for unvaccinated residents if the COVID-19 county positivity rate is greater than 10-percent and less than 70-percent of residents in the facility are fully vaccinated. Limitations may also occur for residents with COVID-19 or those placed in quarantine because of exposure, regardless of vaccination status, until they have met the criteria to discontinue precautions.
Compassionate care visits should be allowed at all times, regardless of vaccination status, an outbreak in the facility, or the county’s positivity rate.
While CMS and CDC recommend that the core principles of infection prevention be followed at all times, including physical distancing, if a resident is fully vaccinated, they can choose to have close contact, including touch, with their visitor while wearing a well-fitting mask and performing hand hygiene.
The full guidance from CMS can be found here.
