By Jessica Costello
KENTUCKY (WFIE) - Over in Kentucky, new COVID-19 guidance that could impact thousands of state residents and their loved ones went into effect this weekend.
These new guidelines will affect a select number of long-term care facilities across the commonwealth, but not all of them.
Governor Andy Beshear announced earlier this week that some long-term care facilities, specifically non-certified facilities, will resume indoor visitation on Saturday, as long as they went through the full vaccination process. The facilities influenced by these changes include assisted living, personal care homes, intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities, and independent living facilities.
In these specific facilities, there can now be additional outside visitation in place for families to see their loved ones, which is something the governor acknowledges has been highly anticipated.
”I know that has been difficult for a long time,” Gov. Beshear said. “Group activities and communal dining will also resume, again, for those who have been fully vaccinated. Visitation amongst residents will resume for vaccinated residents. What this means is once someone is better protected from this disease, we want them to be able to see their loved ones.”
There are still some requirements that people have to meet for visitation.
“We do ask that all visitors are scheduled with the facility and this is really an effort to avoid mass gatherings,” Adam Mather, inspector general of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services said. “So we’re asking that these visits are limited to one visitor or two individuals from the same household.”
Other requirements are visitors will be screened at the door and would need to present a negative COVID-19 test or show proof of their vaccination records.
As for Medicare-certified facilities, the state is still waiting on a change in guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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