Nursing Home Indoor Visitation Restrictions Loosened In NC

NORTH CAROLINA — After months of restrictions meant to curb the spread of coronavirus, indoor visitation will be allowed at nursing homes and long-term care facilities in North Carolina, North Carolina public health officials announced Thursday.

The move comes as public health officials report that the number of COVID-19 cases at nursing homes and long-term care facilities around the state have plunged since the peak two months ago.

As of Thursday, there were 276 nursing home COVID-19 outbreaks and 207 long-term care facility outbreaks reported in the state.

"Case rates are down over 15-fold in skilled nursing facilities, adult care homes and other licensed facilities since the peak of transmission in January 2021," North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement. "Given the rapid decline in new cases, most facilities currently meet criteria to resume indoor visitation while continuing to follow infection prevention recommendations."

Contributing to the decline in cases at state nursing homes, say officials, is the vaccination rate. As of March 4, more than 207,000 vaccine doses have been administered through the federal long-term care program, DHHS said.

"I know it has a been a long, difficult year for residents and families, but those measures saved lives and are now allowing us to resume safe, indoor visitation," DHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen said. "While we need to continue infection prevention practices, this decrease is also a positive sign of the impact vaccinations have in our communities."

Congregate living facilities have borne the brunt of COVID fatalities in the state. Of North Carolina's 11,399 COVID-19 deaths, at least 4,996 — or about 44 percent — have been of nursing home or long-term care facility residents, according to DHHS data.

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