NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — It’s a turning point in the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Wednesday, federal officials with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released updated visitation guidance for nursing homes.
Officials say moving forward, they recommend allowing indoor visits at nursing home facilities at all times, regardless of people’s vaccination status.
It’s a relief for Nan Jones, who lives at the James River Convalescent and Rehabilitation Center in Newport News.
“My children want to hug me so bad,” Jones said.
She hasn’t hugged her three sons in a year.
CMS officials recommend continuing to implement COVID-19 safety measures at nursing homes, which include sanitizing, physical distancing, and mask-wearing. Outdoors visits are recommended whenever possible. Officials say residents who are vaccinated will be able to hug their loved ones from now on.
Mark Klyczek, the CEO of Virginia Health Services, said throughout the pandemic, his nursing homes on the Peninsula have only allowed Zoom and outdoor visits.
He oversees seven facilities on the Peninsula. Klyczek said his staff is working quickly in response to the new guidelines. They'll begin organizing in-person visits now that they’re recommended again.
“I’m feeling very happy that we’re able to allow this visitation, and I feel that it’s very safe as well,” said Klyczek. “It’s a little difficult to manage because while we want the visitation, we weren’t able to select the criteria.”
He’s referring to CMS’s criteria that limit visits under certain circumstances.
Under the new guidance, visits are limited for:
- Unvaccinated residents, if the COVID-19 county positivity rate is greater than 10%
- Unvaccinated residents if less than 70 percent of residents in the facility are fully vaccinated
- Residents with COVID-19
- Residents in quarantine
The latest guidance comes as more than three million vaccine doses have been administered within nursing homes and COVID-19 cases continue to trend downward.
Dr. Robert Walters, the Vice President of Clinical Affairs with Virginia Health Services, said it’s a positive milestone.
“A lot of this speaks to the vaccinations. We’ve had a very good participation of home residents getting vaccinated,” Walters remarked.
Nan Jones said the last year of isolation has been a rollercoaster of emotions.
“The hardest part was that I couldn’t hug,” Jones said.
Now, there are better days ahead and plenty of warm hugs.
Klyczek said his nursing homes will still require visitors to schedule visitations in order to maintain order within the facilities.