Inslee Outlines Plan To Restore Visits At Nursing Homes

KIRKLAND, WA — The state is nearing a path forward to allow for limited visits at Washington's long-term care facilities, after months on lockdown, thousands of coronavirus cases and hundreds of deaths linked to COVID-19.

At least 5,694 coronavirus illnesses have been associated with residents, employees and visitors at more than 500 long-term care facilities across Washington, according to state health officials. At least 894 people have died, accounting for more than half of the state's death toll.

Since the first outbreak was detected in Kirkland, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and adult family homes have largely been under lockdown.

"They were the right decisions, but they were very difficult decisions, difficult because that has meant isolation for folks now, for months," Gov. Jay Inslee said Thursday. "It's made families who have missed their loved ones on Mother's Day, on Father's Day, they've missed seeing their friends and their relatives, this has been extremely difficult for people in these facilities."

Starting next week, Washington will begin a phased approach to resuming visits, which includes four gradual steps, similar to the state's overall Safe Start reopening plan. Though the number of phases is the same, the standards for moving forward are different, and facilities will not necessarily reach the same phase number as their county immediately.

Under the first phase, in-person visits will be limited to the outdoors and capped at two visitors per day. Limited indoor visits can resume in the second phase, but only if outdoor or remote visits are not feasible. Restrictions continue to ease until the final phase, which restores "normal visitation."

To move forward, each facility will need approval from the state. Facilities must demonstrate they have gone at least 28 days without a resident or staff member testing positive for the virus, and maintain a minimum two-week supply of personal protective equipment. Facilities located in counties with higher transmission rates will be kept in earlier phases until activity lowers.

While the risk of COVID-19 among vulnerable populations remains very high, state Secretary of Health John Wiesman says the state has completed hundreds of consultations with facilities to maximize safety and ensure proper infection control protocols are followed.

According to the Department of Social & Health Services, investigators have visited all 4,000 facilities in Washington.

"They made sure the facilities were properly screening employees for COVID-19 symptoms before every shift, that facilities were diligently practicing proper hand hygiene and isolating residents who tested positive for COVID-19," said Cheryl Strange, the DSHS Secretary. "That's more than 200 nursing homes, 500 assisted living facilities and over 3,000 adult family homes."

Strange said the new visitation guidelines were developed in conjunction with families, advocates and public health partners, and coincided with an ongoing mass-testing effort that has already screened tens of thousands at nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

Despite the precautionary measures and cautious reopening plan, state leaders say it remains paramount that anyone thinking of visiting a friend or loved one is behaving responsibly in their regular life, along with the public-at-large.

"We know that this virus is still with us, it is extremely active, we know we're acting outside of these facilities to take care of folks inside, by wearing masks," Inslee said. "We need to be conscious of the devastating impacts of what we do outside of these facilities can impact what happens inside."

The new process for resuming visitations begins Wednesday, Aug 12.