ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Those living in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities in St. Louis County will be able to have socially-distant indoor visits, the county announced Wednesday.
The county is adopting the plan that the state’s Department of Health and Human Services announced last week. Under the guidelines, “facilities that have not had any cases of COVID-19 among staff or residents, or those that have not had a facility-acquired case in the past 14 days, are able to allow indoor visits for residents who do not or are not suspected to have COVID-19 or who have been released from isolation.”
Outdoor visits are allowed in any facility for residents who do not or are not suspected to have COVID-19 or who have been released from isolation.
“It is understood that loneliness and isolation can be critical problems for these residents, and visits from family members can make a big difference,” the county said in an email.
Five visitors may be designated for each resident, with two allowed to be present at a given time. Those visiting must make an appointment and social distancing must be practiced, according to the guidelines. The resident and visitors must also wear masks.
Facilities must also set a limit on the total number of visitors allowed at any given time.
St. Louis County requires all long-term care facilities to quickly report every COVID-19 case among residents and staff, along with every hospitalization and every death tied to the disease.
To view the state's guidelines, click here.
