WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., led her colleagues in calling on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue specific guidance for when long-term care facilities can safely reopen their doors to visitors, and what steps long-term care facilities should take to ensure the safety of residents and family members when they do so. In addition to Hassan, the letter was signed by Sens. Bob Casey, D-Pa., Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Jack Reed, D-R.I., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.

“Significant restrictions on daily group activities and on in-person contact with family and loved ones are rightfully in place to protect residents and limit the spread of COVID-19 among particularly vulnerable populations,” wrote the Senators. “However, this sustained isolation is also impacting the mental and emotional well-being of residents and their families.”

The Senators discussed previous guidance that the CDC and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released and how it does not provide enough details for long-term care facilities to execute a plan to reopen to visitors safely.

“Fact and evidence-based guidance from CDC that prioritizes safety, and provides measurable benchmarks, realistic timelines, and clear direction to visitors would provide residents and families with a measure of much-needed clarity that they currently lack,” wrote the Senators.

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