Local long-term care facilities react to updated CDC guidelines on visitations
According to the update from the CDC, long-term care facilities should allow indoor visitations for all residents regardless of their vaccination status. Author: Veronica Ortega Updated: 6:50 PM CST March 12, 2021
FORT SMITH, Ark. This week the CDC updated COVID-19 safety guidelines for long-term care facilities visitation. This comes after more than 3 million doses of the vaccine have been given at nursing homes across the country.
For months Arkansas families with a loved one living at long-term care facilities had to make a visit on the other side of a window or outside.
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With all the restrictions on assisted living during the coronavirus pandemic, residents have not been able to have visitors or perform regular activities. The new vaccine will provide a route for things to get back to normal for the facility.
Bryant Dooly at Methodist Assisted Living is the leader of the center s vaccine task force and is working to inform residents and their families about the progress and administration of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine that is waiting for emergency authorization from the FDA.
Nationwide, nursing homes and healthcare workers have been named as priorities for receiving the vaccines. Local hospitals received a shipment of the Pfizer vaccine on Tuesday. Methodist is waiting for the second vaccine from Moderna.