New government guidelines from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”), in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”), have been issued on March 10,
2021. These new guidelines reflect the extraordinary progress made in the fight against COVID19 by the successful implementation of vaccines within our facilities and the dedication and commitment of our heroic staff to care for our nation’s most vulnerable population. As a result, Signature HealthCARE’s facilities will be reopening to allow responsible in-person visitation for our residents and families in accordance with the new guidelines.
As our facilities diligently prepare for reopening, please note, outdoor visitation will always be the preferred manner for in-person visitation. This strictly follows the recommended CMS guidelines, which advocates outdoor visitation whenever practicable, as outdoor visits pose a lower risk of transmission due to increased space and airflow. We must remember, even with many in our population being vaccinated for COVID-19 and with the new guidelines being implemented to help reduce the risk of COVID-19 exposure and transmission, these actions do not and will not completely eliminate the risk. Therefore, as our nursing home population still remains vulnerable to COVID-19 and other viruses, like the flu, we must ask that our communities and families diligently adhere to the new guidelines in each of our facilities, as set by CMS and their specific states.
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