Visitors now allowed inside NC long-term care facilities, but there are some rules
Visitors can go into nursing homes to visit residents effective Monday, as long as the homes have not had recent coronavirus outbreaks.
Dr. Mandy Cohen, Secretary of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, signed an order Monday allowing indoor visitation at long-term care facilities, which includes nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, adult care homes and other congregate facilities.
But the order only applies to facilities that have not had COVID-19 cases in the previous 14 days and those in counties where the percentage of positive coronavirus tests is less than 10%. The state’s guidelines follow those set by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
On Saturday, only seven of the state’s 100 counties had positive test rates that were higher than 10%, and all Triangle counties were far below that mark.
Under the order, visitors must be screened for COVID-19 symptoms before entering a nursing home, and must wear a face covering. Among other requirements, visitors, residents and staff must use alcohol-based hand sanitizer before and after a visit.
Cohen, in a press release, said the state’s coronavirus key metrics have remained stable. The order comes as the state’s Phase 2.5 executive order is set to expire Friday, and Gov. Roy Cooper said he will announce possible changes to restrictions before then.
In March, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said nursing homes should keep out visitors and the non-essential medical personnel, except for end-of-life situations. Elderly people are vulnerable to severe health complications from COVID-19, and the coronavirus spread quickly through nursing homes.
More recently, nursing home residents were allowed to see visitors outside, and DHHS guidelines say outdoor visits are still preferred.
Nursing home hot sports
Across the state, nursing homes became hot spots for cases and, in many cases, deaths. July, almost half the coronavirus deaths in the state came from nursing home residents, The News & Observer reported.
The state also lacked consistent mass testing in those facilities with high numbers of cases, according to reporting by the NC Watchdog Reporting Network.
In late June, the state expanded testing to all nursing home residents and employees, including those without outbreaks. The testing was scheduled to be completed in July and August, but the state didn’t commit to paying for follow-up or regular testing, The N&O reported.
In August, Cohen issued an order to require staff members to be tested every two weeks. The state is paying for the testing through November with funds from the federal CARES Act, The N&O reported Aug. 7.
The federal government issued new rules in early September for nursing home testing that bases frequency on the positive test percentage in counties, The N&O reported. In counties with positivity rates below 5%, nursing homes must test all staff once a month.
Triangle cases
As of Monday, the state counted 11,644 COVID-19 cases associated with nursing homes since March, out of a total of 208,248 cases. There are 224 outbreaks in nursings homes; an outbreak is considered two or more cases.
There are 1,413 COVID-19 deaths associated with nursing homes, out of 3,445 deaths.
People 65 and older still account for the largest percentage of deaths in the state — or 81%.
DHHS on Friday reported active COVID-19 outbreaks in eight Wake nursing homes, eight Durham nursing homes, and four Orange County nursing homes.
On Friday, Wake County reported a COVID-19 outbreak at the Tammy Lynn Center, an intermediate care facility for people with developmental disabilities. DHHS reported an outbreak there involving three staff members and four residents.
Last Wednesday, Wake County reported an outbreak at Swift Creek Health Center. DHHS reported two staff members and three residents infected there.
This story was originally published September 28, 2020 at 6:03 PM.