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Department of Health Aligns Guidance Regarding Masking for COVID-19 with CDC for Long Term Care Facilities | AL/ESF/SNF
The long-awaited news is here! As all of you know, the Secretary of Health statewide masking order for health care facilities lifted on Monday, April 3, 2023. The Department of Health (DOH) has issued their much-anticipated guidance for long term care facilities, including residents, staff, and visitors. Facilities must follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance related to masking and COVID-19. DOH’s Interim Recommendations for SARS-CoV-2 Infection Prevention and Control in Healthcare Settings, dated October 2022, was retired April 3, 2023 and replaced with a SARS-CoV-2 Infection Prevention and Control in Healthcare Settings Toolkit.
According to Residential Care Services (RCS), facilities must ensure they are following appropriate standards of infection control prevention and must revise their policies regarding COVID-19 to reflect the updated guidance by May 1, 2023.
Keep in mind, all businesses, including long term care facilities, are required to follow all L&I requirements and may choose to require masks in their facility. Local public health officials may also put more protective mask orders in place to limit transmission of COVID-19 in facilities and the community. Additionally, some individuals may need to, or choose to, continue wearing a mask. They have the right to wear masks in public and health care facilities even when state or local masking mandates are not active. More information can be found in the DOH COVID-19 Mask Guidance document and on the DOH website.
DOH will be hosting webinars to discuss the new guidance. Registration for both webinars is available at the link Webinar Registration - Zoom. Webinar dates are:
- Thursday, April 6 | 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
- Thursday, April 20 | 10:00 am to 11:30 am
Read more.
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