Long-Term Care Facilities

Individuals are encouraged to visit loved ones in nursing homes or adult care facilities. 

New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) is fully aligned with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Nursing Home Visitation - COVID-19 (REVISED) regarding nursing home COVID-19 screening and visitor testing. Specifically, nursing homes are no longer required to verify that visitors have a negative COVID-19 test before entry or conduct active COVID-19 screening.

The Department recommends that facilities continue to conduct passive screening, including instructional signage throughout the facility and proper visitor education on COVID-19 signs and symptoms, infection control precautions, and other applicable facility practices (e.g., use of face covering or mask; specified entries, exits and routes to designated areas; and hand hygiene). 

Facilities that choose to continue visitor testing and/or active screening may do so at their discretion. Active screening refers to requiring anyone entering the facility to complete a symptom screening questionnaire or an in-person interview and/or have their temperature taken before being allowed entry into the facility.

Nursing homes and adult care facilities must facilitate vaccinations for all residents. All new nursing home residents and residents readmitted to the facility must have an opportunity to receive the first or any required next dose of the COVID-19 vaccine within 14 days of having been admitted or readmitted to such facility, as applicable. For all adult care facility residents, within seven days of admission or readmission, the facility shall make diligent efforts to schedule all consenting and eligible new or readmitted residents for the COVID-19 vaccination. 

Long-term care facilities are expected to adhere to the infection prevention and control standards, quarantine requirements, and testing standards set forth by CMS and CDC.