The Colorado health department has issued new guidance for visitors to nursing homes and other residential facilities, saying that it will loosen restrictions for residents who are vaccinated against the coronavirus.
If a resident of a facility is fully immunized, they can have close contact, such as touching, with a visitor while wearing a face mask, according to the new guidelines released by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
The agency said indoor visits should still be limited in certain cases, including the following:
- Unvaccinated residents, including if the county the facility is based in has a test positivity rate higher than 10%
- When less than 70% of the residents in the building are fully vaccinated
- Visits should be limited when residents test positive for COVID-19 and until they meet the criteria to end precautions that reduce transmission
- When residents are in quarantine
Nursing homes have been hit hard by the pandemic, with many facing outbreaks in their facilities. This has led to visitor restrictions at the facilities in an effort to prevent the spread of the disease to those most vulnerable.
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