OUTBREAKS
for many nursing home residents, there are a few cases included in the guidance where visitations should be limited because of a high risk. These include unvaccinated residents in a county with a positivity rate over 10 percent and where less than 70 percent of residents fully vaccinated. It limits visits for residents with a confirmed infection and those who are quarantined, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated.
In a statement this week, American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living, which represents 14,000 long-term care facilities in the country, expressed the impact that resuming visits will have on nursing home residents.
“It has been nearly one year to the day since visitors were restricted from nursing homes, and now thanks to the vaccines, we cannot wait to safely reopen our doors,” President and CEO Mark Parkinson wrote. “Our dedicated staff members
have done an extraordinary job filling in for loved ones and adapting visitations during this difficult time, but nothing can replace engaging with family members in-person.
“The health and well-being of our residents will improve thanks to this important guidance.”
In California, fully vaccinated nursing home residents are now able to receive indoor visits regardless of what tier their county is in once two weeks have passed since they received their second dose. Unvaccinated residents are allowed visits only in counties that fall under the state’s three least restrictive tiers, California Department of Public Health officials reported this week.
Nursing home residents in purple tier counties — such as San Diego — must be fully vaccinated and test negative on a rapid antigen
or standard COVID test within two days before an indoor visitation. That protocol is in place regardless of whether the visitor has been vaccinated. Visits should be in either a private room, or in a separate indoor space if the resident has a roommate.
Fully vaccinated visitors of fully vaccinated residents are now allowed to have brief, limited physical contact — such as a hug, holding hands or helping the resident with with feeding or grooming. Otherwise, visitors are required to wear personal protective equipment and maintain 6 feet of social distance.
Almost three months after vaccination efforts began in nursing homes, the impact of the protection they offer can be seen in the lowered rates of new infections locally.
New cases among skilled nursing facilities in San Diego
County took another huge step down this week, as the total number of new infections among staff and residents combined fell from triple to double digits for the first time in months.
County public health officials reported 14 new cases among skilled nursing residents and 24 new cases among staff Wednesday, which brings the totals since the beginning of the pandemic to 4,301 and 2,803, respectively. There were also 15 new deaths reported in connection to skilled nursing outbreaks, bringing the total up to 518.
San Diego County’s active nursing home outbreaks also continued to fall this week — down from 40 to 29 — as one new outbreak was reported by public health officials.
An outbreak in skilled nursing differs from community outbreaks in that it is deemed active when one person tests positive for COVID-19. A nursing home outbreak is deemed inactive once no one has tested positive at the facility for at least two weeks.
“Our dedicated staff members have done an extraordinary job.” Mark Parkinson, CEO of American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living