Starting Thursday, loved ones will once again be allowed to visit their family members or friends in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, but with ample precautions in place, according to a newly issued public health health order by San Mateo County Health Officer Dr. Scott Morrow. Indoor visits will also be allowed in urgent situations, such as end of life.
Visitors, who include family, close friends and those making legal decisions, will be required to undergo screening for COVID-19 symptoms, including temperature checks.
In order to allow outdoor visitation, facilities must certify in writing to the county’s public health department they have adequate access to COVID-19 testing and have implemented the county’s mass-testing strategy that shows it has adequate staff, supplies of personal protective equipment and essential cleaning supplies to care for residents. The outdoor visits must be limited to no more than two adults and one resident (although cohabitating residents may participate in the same visit together), scheduled in advance and take place in a designated area with sufficient space for social distancing, according to the county.
For necessary indoor and compassionate care visits, “the order outlines the safety measures, including PPE requirements, for supervising staff and visitors if a resident is positive or presumed positive for COVID-19,” the county said.
The full text of the order is available here.
