Ohio nursing homes to allow visitors with restrictions

CINCINNATI (FOX19) - Starting Monday, outdoor visits are permitted in Ohio nursing homes.

At the time of this announcement from Gov. Mike DeWine June 29, the state took steps to increase testing, calling on help from the Ohio National Guard.

Monday marks the first time in four months many long-term care residents get a chance to see family members in person. 

Visitors were banned from nursing homes on March 12.

Experts and family members reached out to DeWine emphasizing how the loss of contact long-term can have a detrimental effect on residents.  

“We are now a number of months into this, which simply means that there are a lot of people who have been locked up and cannot have visits from their family,” he said.

DeWine said several factors should be considered when deciding if outdoor visits can be safely allowed: 

• Staffing levels
• Adequate testing for residents and staff 
• Personal protective equipment supplies
• Local hospital capacity 
• Case status in the surrounding community 
• Case status in the nursing home 

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