The state report showing that widespread COVID-19 testing at Pennsylvania’s long-term care facilities could allow for visits by residents’ families is welcome news — provided caution is maintained and decisions are based on viable data.
As we’ve seen in many areas, impatience and recklessness are the allies of this global pandemic.
The state Department of Health reported last week that all 693 of Pennsylvania’s licensed skilled-care homes completed testing of staff and residents, as they were ordered to do on June 8.
Those with zero positive tests may now develop plans to prepare for what Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine called a limited reopening.
That could include some family visits and group gatherings for meals and other activities. Centers would need to continue screening residents and staff so that they can identify any new cases quickly and take steps such as isolating individuals who test positive.
“By completing universal testing, facilities are one step closer to achieving all of the goals set out to allow safe visitation, communal dining and activities,” Levine said.
Levine did not offer a timetable for the partial reopening. She urged a family with a loved one in a long-term care center to “call the facility” for that information – indicating that eligible centers will not necessarily open at the same moment.
“It is a balance between protecting the health of the individuals in the facilities versus allowing the visitors,” Levine said. “I know it’s a really difficult balance, but we cannot introduce COVID-19 into those facilities.”
The novel coronavirus has been seen in long-term care centers throughout the state — although data from different sources is inconsistent. The state’s spreadhseet on reported cases lists some incidents of infection in care homes, yet other entries on facilities indicate “no data.”
Ambiguity is another ally of the pandemic — hindering the response and agitating people’s reactions to any restrictions put in place.
The state has received considerable push-back from restaurant and tavern owners for seemingly inconsistent guidelines for being open and serving customers — and for uneven enforcement of rules, such as the 25% occupancy limit.
While the recent spike in positive virus tests has been driven by rising cases among younger adults — hence the changes for bars — the vast majority of fatal COVID-19 cases have involved older residents, with nursing homes and long-term care hit especially hard.
As of last week, the state was reporting 7,122 deaths from the coronavirus since March, with 4,851 — or 68% — of those fatalities involving residents of long-term care centers, including nursing homes.
Levine said the state launched a system of response sites that can react quickly and locally to COVID-19 concerns.
“Signs and symptoms of COVID-19 could arise at any point,” Department of Human Services Secretary Teresa Miller said through a press release, “and for people living and working in a long-term care facility, quick action and mitigation efforts could be the difference between isolated cases and an outbreak.”
Levine said taking precautions generally in local communities will help ensure safety at nearby care homes – reducing staff exposure when away from work and curtailing the risk of the virus finding its way into a home as visitation rules are eased.
As much as we understand the desire to interact with relatives in long-term care settings, we urge extreme caution moving forward.
That would include the use of reliable and consistent data to provide realistic reopening guidelines.
