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March 19, 2021

CMS Loosens Restrictions on Nursing Home Visitation

On March 10, CMS revised guidance on nursing home visitation, loosening visitation restrictions to reflect the reality that many nursing home residents are now vaccinated against COVID-19. The new guidance provides that facilities should permit indoor visitation for all residents, even unvaccinated residents. The guidance provides an exception in limited situations with a high risk of COVID-19 transmission, for example when a resident is in quarantine or when a facility is in a community with greater than 10% positivity rate when fewer than 70% of residents are vaccinated. CMS stressed the importance of continuing to follow general infection prevention guidelines in response to the continued threat posed by COVID-19.