The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has issued an order to allow more in-person visits with people in nursing homes.
The order applies to facilities in counties the state has identified as “low risk.”
Director Robert Gordon said as temperatures grow colder, outdoor visits will no longer be an option, even though indoor visits are a bigger risk.
“So it’s a very tricky balance, and we are opening indoor visitation in a very limited way with required testing. We do think it’s a step forward. It may not be as much as some people wanted. But we think that to protect lives it’s the right step right now.”
Visits are by appointment only. And the facility must have no new cases within the past 14 days.
Gordon says the new order was issued because in-person contact with loved ones is necessary to the well-being of people in nursing homes.
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