COLUMBUS – After seven months of visiting loved ones through closed windows or, at best, in outdoor settings, Ohioans can start entering nursing homes and assisted-living facilities under certain conditions.
The facilities are permitted to allow indoor visitation if they follow certain health and safety requirements. Visitation requirements include a two-visitor limit for a maximum for 30 minutes, and safety protocols, such as social distancing and wearing face masks.
Ohio sees record number of daily cases of COVID-19.
“We do understand that having disconnection certainly can have an impact on both physical and cognitive decline. We also appreciated and have experienced just how quickly this virus can wreak havoc, on a facility and the individuals within” said Ursel McElroy Director of the Ohio Department of Aging.
State officials have also announced an online dashboard will soon be launched where facilities will report information on whether they are allowing window visitation, outdoor visitation or indoor visitation.
“This will give us a really good picture of how visitation and those connections have been facilitated throughout the state,” McElroy said.
According to state data, at least 2,700 residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities have died with COVID-19, accounting for 64% of total COVID deaths in Ohio.
The state reported 1,291 additional confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 Sunday for a total of 168,749 with 4,999 deaths.