CMS has posted the most recent – January 11, 2021 – county positivity rates for COVID-19. This data is used by LTC facilities to determine the frequency of staff testing. QSO-20-38-NH guidelines include testing staff on a certain frequency based on the COVID-19 positivity rate for the county the nursing … Read More
Renewal of determination that a public health emergency exists
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, Alex Azar, officially renewed the Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19, effective January 21, 2021, for an additional 90 days. This renewal happened on Thursday, January 7, 2021. The current PHE declaration was set to expire on January 21, 2021. … Read More
COVID-19 nursing home data updated
CMS has posted nursing home data regarding COVID-19 for week ending December 27, 2020. The dataset carries a date of January 7, 2021. The above charts can be found here.
NHSN tracking of COVID-19 vaccination for residents and staff
CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) now allows long term care facilities to report weekly COVID-19 vaccination data for residents and healthcare personnel. Weekly reporting is currently optional. CDC is promoting weekly reporting through NHSN as the COVID-19 Vaccination Module allows for reporting of vaccination percentages that are consistent over … Read More
COVID-19 update: Vaccination recommendations & implementation (webinar recording available)
If you missed this webinar hosted by NFID (National Foundation for Infectious Diseases) on Wednesday, January 6, 2021, you can view the webinar recording at your convenience. This recorded webinar includes a discussion on recent COVID-19 vaccine updates. This webinar addresses implementation guidance and frequently asked questions regarding COVID-19 vaccines … Read More