Governor Issues Order Requiring Nursing Home Visitors Show Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination or Negative Test Result

Keeping nursing home residents safe while still allowing needed, in-person social and emotional contact from visiting friends and family has been difficult. Unfortunately, the virus continues to severely and disproportionately affect those who are immunocompromised, ill and elderly.

In an effort to continue to protect and retain a sense of normalcy for those nursing home residents, yesterday, Governor Lamont announced that he signed Executive Order No. 14F directing all nursing homes in Connecticut to require visitors to either show proof that they have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have recently tested negative for the virus in order to enter the facilities.

The order takes effect on Saturday, January 22, 2022.

Specifically, when entering nursing homes, visitors must:

• Provide proof that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and, if eligible, under FDA or CDC guidance, have received a COVID-19 vaccine booster;
• Provide paper or electronic proof of a negative COVID-19 test result from either a rapid antigen test that was completed within the previous 48 hours or a PCR test that was completed within the previous 72 hours; or
• Take a rapid antigen test at the nursing home.

The order requires nursing homes to deny entrance to any visitor that tests positive for COVID-19 or who refuses to take a rapid antigen test. The order further provides, according to guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid, that a nursing home cannot deny entrance to any visitor who is willing to take a rapid antigen test but is unable to do so because the nursing home is not able to provide a rapid antigen test.

The Connecticut Department of Public Health plans on distributing 50,000 rapid antigen tests to all nursing homes. These are to be used exclusively to facilitate safe visitation. Distribution will begin on Friday, January 21, 2022.

More information can be found here, or by downloading: Governor Lamont’s Executive Order No. 14F