October 30, 2020 3:35 a.m.

Licensed nursing, assisted living and residential care facilities that qualify may begin allowing limited indoor visitation for residents starting November 2nd.

Governor Kate Brown said when it comes to long-term care facility visitation, “…we will proceed carefully, to protect the residents who are most vulnerable to COVID-19”. Brown said with case counts rising, she has instructed the Oregon Department of Human Services to proceed with caution. However, she said it is her hope that families can now safely begin visiting loved ones they have not been able to see for so many months.

An ODHS release said residents may have up to two visitors at a time to meet with in an approved area. To quality, a facility must:

*Have no suspected or current cases of COVID-19

*Follow visitation requirements detailed in the policy and related guidance

*Be in a community with a low or medium rate of COVID-19 exposure. Facilities in communities with high incidents of COVID-19 may only have visitors indoors who qualify under a compassionate care policy: https://www.oregon.gov/dhs/PROVIDERS-PARTNERS/LICENSING/AdminAlerts/NF-20-100%20-%20Compassionate%20Care%20Visitation%20Allowances.pdf

Interim Director of the ODHS Office of Aging and People with Disabilities Mike McCormick said the indoor visitation policy has many layers to it that strike a balance between safety and “…essential need for families and friends to connect”. He said officials will continue to monitor outbreaks closely and will modify the policy if that is warranted.