Gov. Ron DeSantis reopens nursing homes, assisted living facilities to visitors
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced today he is ordering the reopening of long-term care facilities to visitors after nearly six months of lockdown, saying the closure was necessary to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus to a most-vulnerable population but caused “a lot of pain for a lot of families.”
The governor said he would sign the order later today, putting into motion a plan laid out by a task force he appointed that included representatives from nursing homes and assisted living facilities as well as the state’s surgeon general.
“It’s a tragedy that [the lockdown] happened, but we had to do it,” DeSantis said, seeming emotional at times as he spoke of the isolation and loneliness of residents. “It weighs on me to think of the people who passed away … without being able to say a final goodbye.”
The order still comes with a long set of rules, including that facilities allowing visitors must have no new onset of COVID-19 cases for 14 days and that visits take place by appointment only. No visitors under age 18 will be allowed, at least initially.
