FILE - Melvin Goldstein, 90, glances at pictures of birds, left, and a fish, his 13-year-old granddaughter drew for him as a gift as his daughter Barbara Goldstein shares them with his during a family visit inside the Hebrew Home at Riverdale, March 28, 2021, in New York. The government on Friday, Nov.
Nationally, vaccination rates average 86% for nursing home residents and 74% for staff, although that can vary dramatically from state to state and facility to facility. Many nursing homes are rushing to provide booster shots for their residents. Staffers were recently required by the government to get vaccinated.
“But it doesn't mean that the pandemic is over and that COVID is not circulating,” Eyigor added. “The nursing homes, the residents and their loved ones are all going to have to work together to make sure that visits are occurring and they are occurring safely.” But residents can still receive visits if their facility is in the midst of an outbreak investigation or if they themselves are under special precautions to prevent COVID transmission. In such cases, residents and visitors must wear masks and protective gear.