• OPWDD has continued to provide ongoing guidance documents via their website located here.

• To date, OPWDD has issued guidance on the following topics:
• Visitation to certified settings
• Containment guidance
• Site visit restrictions to State and voluntary facilities 

• In addition to reports to the local health department, p  roviders should notify OPWDD of any reports of exposure to the virus, which is utilizing the Incident Management Unit reporting system to receive possible reports of exposure. Providers can expect IMU staff to be re-deployed to this matter, and may expect outreach on potential cases of exposure from IMU staff.  

• This afternoon the Governor issued Executive Order 202.1 which addressed numerous topics related to:
• Hospital and other Article 28 Facilities
• Clinical Laboratories
• Mental Hygiene Facilities
• Scope of Practice Modifications
• Medicaid and Insurer Impacts
• Telehealth Expansions (see below)
• Nursing Home Guidance

• This Executive Order relaxed certain regulations related to telehealth that will be specifically outlined in a memo that OPWDD expects to release shortly. 

• As of Friday 3/13, OPWDD has suspended all non-health & safety audits and DQI surveys.

• OPWDD will be issuing guidance shortly on day hab as part of the Governor’s directive that congregate settings of less than 500 individuals reduce their capacity by 50%.

• Providers in need of personal protective equipment supplies should contact their Local Emergency Operations Center. OPWDD will be releasing a list of all of these facilities over the weekend to ensure that everyone is aware of how to contact these facilities. 

• DOH will soon release guidance on non-essential face to face interactions for Health Home/Care Coordination Organizations. OPWDD has recommended that all non-essential face to face meetings be suspended until further notice. 

• The President issued a national emergency today and dictated that all non-essential visits to nursing homes be ceased. Given that many people with I/DD are similarly vulnerable, OPWDD is exploring the degree to which this directive should be extended to certain I/DD populations/facilities as well. 

• Now that a national emergency has been declared by the President, OPWDD officials are pursuing an 1135 Waiver to relax additional regulations, which is being done in consultation with the provider associations, including the NY Alliance. 

• The deadline for submitting comments on the SIP-PL document has been extended in light of the virus.