Indoor nursing home visits to resume Oct. 12, DeWine announces

Indoor visitations at nursing homes and long-term care facilities will be permitted to restart across the state as soon as Oct. 12, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Thursday (Source: “Indoor nursing home visits can restart on Oct. 12, DeWine says,” Crains Cleveland Business, Sept. 25).

Outdoor visitation went into effect, after months of a complete shutdown, for assisted living in early June and for nursing homes in July. "We know it is going to get cold and that outdoor visitation will no longer work," DeWine said.

Ohio Department of Aging director Ursel McElroy said facilities will be required to have access to adequate testing, staffing and personal protection equipment before allowing indoor visitation. All facilities, she said, must report to the state coronavirus data that will be published on a dashboard. According to the new guidelines, visitors will be screened and required to wear a mask during the visit. Only two visitors are permitted at one time, with visits limited to 30 minutes.