WASHINGTON (AP) — The government says nursing home residents vaccinated against COVID-19 can get hugs again from their loved ones, and all residents may enjoy more indoor visits. Precautions such as wearing masks and using hand sanitizer remain in place as a counterbalance to risk. Wednesday's updated guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, comes as coronavirus cases and deaths among nursing home residents have plummeted in recent weeks. The decline has occurred at the same time that vaccination has accelerated.
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FILE - In this March 11, 2020, file photo Judie Shape, center, who has tested positive for the coronavirus, blows a kiss to her son-in-law, Michael Spencer, left, as Shape's daughter, Lori Spencer, right, looks on, as they visit on the phone and look at each other through a window at the Life Care Center in Kirkland, Wash., near Seattle. Nursing home residents vaccinated against COVID-19 can get hugs again from their loved ones, and indoor visits may be allowed for all residents, the government said Wednesday, March 10, 2021 in a step toward pre-pandemic normalcy (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
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