The Pennsylvania Department of Health has updated their
guidance on October 13th directing nursing facilities to now adhere to the
CMS guidance from September 17thas the DOH has eliminated the requirement of the Three Step Process for
facility re-opening.This new direction
is allowing facilities to be less restrictive with resident visitation,
however, we will adhere to CMS’s Core Principles of COVID-19 Infection
Prevention:•Screening of all who enter the facility for signs and
symptoms of COVID-19•Hand hygiene •Face covering or masks•Social distancing at least six feet between persons•Instructional signage throughout the facility and
proper visitor education on COVID-19 •Cleaning and disinfecting high frequency touched
surfaces in the facility often, and designated visitation areas after each
visit•Appropriate staff use of PPE•Effective cohorting of residents •Resident and staff testing conducted as requiredIt is still recommended that visits occur outside as
much as possible as well…