Homes will be required to report their number of coronavirus infections and deaths to the Federal Government by midnight Sunday in the first step to providing a clear picture of just how many residents and staff have died across the country during the pandemic as some states prepare to re-open homes to visitors.
As we covered here, news outlets have estimated that nursing homes residents make up one-third of the United States’ 90,000-plus deaths – but the lack of national data means the true toll is unclear.
The aged care regulator, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) say they will collect the data and publish it online – with the names of the nursing homes that have experiences outbreaks – by the end of May – 11 days away.
Nursing homes must already report infectious disease outbreaks to state and local health officials, but many homes have reportedly not been providing data and most states have not published the names of homes with outbreaks.
Home that fail to report their data will face fines starting at $1,000 a week, but these will not start until the fourth week of non-compliance, according to the CMS.
The CMS has also issued advice to guide state health officials looking to re-open homes that have been closed to visitors for two months or more.
The guidelines state homes should ensure staff have been free of COVID-19 for 28 days and then conduct ongoing weekly testing to ensure their facilities stay free of the virus.
Residents and visitors must “wear a cloth face covering or face mask”, while visitors need to be screened including temperature checks.
“Coronavirus has had a devastating impact on nursing homes, and as we reopen America, we want to make sure we are doing everything we can to protect our most vulnerable citizens,” CMS administrator Seema Verma said.
“Our focus continues to be the safety and quality of life of nursing home residents and while we are not at a point where nursing homes can safely open up, we want to make sure communities have a plan in place when they are ready to reopen.”
