The Department of Public Health last week released a memo providing clarifications to long term care visitor policies and establishing guidance on communal dining and outdoor group activities with appropriate precautions (masks, social distancing, etc).

Mass Senior Care urges members to please contact your Member of Congress to support nursing facilities, their residents, and caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please ask your Member of Congress to urge Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to provide a special payment to nursing facilities that have and continue to care for COVID-19 patients, many of whom are now recovered.

Memorandum To: Mass Senior Care Members From: Tara M. Gregorio, President Re: COVID-19 Update: NF Testing Resources; DPH Issues Updated Comprehensive PPE Guidance; Health Care Services; Weekly DPH and CMS Call Reminder Date: July 6, 2020 Nursing Facility Testing Resources The Executive Office of Health and Human Services is requiring that nursing facilities implement a surveillance testing program as of July 1st beginning with a baseline testing of 90% of their staff who previously tested negative. Staff testing must be

Memorandum To: Mass Senior Care Members From: Tara M. Gregorio, President Re: COVID-19 Updates: Data Submission Reporting and User Guide; DPH and CMS Call Reminders Date: July 7, 2020 DPH Issues Data Submission Reporting Memo and User Guide for Chapter 93 of the Acts of 2020 The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has issued a memorandum and User Guide that provide instructions for how nursing homes and rest homes are to report daily to DPH the number of COVID-19 cases

Memorandum To: Mass Senior Care Members From: Tara M. Gregorio, President Re: COVID-19 Updates: EOHHS Message on Surveillance Testing and Governor Baker Announces Offer Free COVID-19 Testing in Select Municipalities Date: July 8, 2020 EOHHS Issues Reminder on Surveillance Testing: Laboratory Samples Long term care facilities are reminded to independently coordinate testing for staff and residents with a testing provider. The state has provided a directory of testing options that facilities may make use of. Facilities should NOT send samples

Memorandum To: Mass Senior Care Members From: Tara M. Gregorio, President Re: COVID-19 Update: MassHealth Issues COVID-19 Baseline and Surveillance Testing Requirements for NFs Date: July 3, 2020 MassHealth Issues COVID-19 Baseline and Surveillance Testing Requirements for NFs (NF Bulletin 148) EOHHS has issued MassHealth Nursing Facility Bulletin 148: COVID-19 Baseline and Surveillance Testing Requirements for Nursing Facilities . MassHealth is requiring that nursing facilities conduct baseline testing of 90% of their staff who previously tested negative no later than

Memorandum To: Mass Senior Care Members From: Tara M. Gregorio, President Re: COVID-19 Update: EOHHS Releases Guidance Regarding LTC Visitor Policies and Communal Dining Date: July 2, 2020 The Department of Public Health released a memo this afternoon providing clarifications to long term care visitor policies and establishing guidance on communal dining and outdoor group activities.

Memorandum To: Mass Senior Care Members From: Tara M. Gregorio, President Re: COVID-19 Update: Updated Guidance Expected to be Released from EOHHS Regarding Outdoor Visitation, Outdoor Congregate Activities and Communal Dining Date: July 2, 2020 Mass Senior Care Association anticipates that the Executive Office of Health and Human Services will issue guidance today or tomorrow to allow, with appropriate precautions (masks, social distancing, etc.) outdoor congregate activities and communal dining. In addition, the guidance for outdoor visits will be amended