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06/01/2023

Public Health Emergency ended - May 11, 2023

  • LeadingAge Indiana Summary of the end of PHE
  • LA QuickCasts for Nursing Homes on End of PHE. Part 1 is an 11-minute QuickCast that provides an overview of what nursing homes need to know about the end of the PHE while Part 2 is a 16-minute QuickCast outlining what nursing homes need to do about the end of the PHE.
  • CMS released an End-of-the-PHE memo QSO-23-13-ALL, about many topics, but notably, the current staff vaccination mandate that requires staff in most CMS-certified settings to be “fully vaccinated” (complete a primary series) against COVID-19 will end - BUT HAS NOT YET.
  • Nursing Home CMS QSO MEMO Update on Testing. Effective May 11 QSO-20-38-NH is no longer in effect.  See testing memo and this LeadingAge article here.
  • CMS Updates Visitation Memo to Align with Ending of the PHE.  On May 8 CMS revised QSO-20-39-NH directing nursing homes to follow nationally accepted standards such as the CDC recommendations for resident and staff testing, indoor visitation and the adherence to infection prevention and control.  The FAQ document attached to the MEMO has also been updated. The memo advises that states may instruct nursing homes to take additional measures to make nursing homes safer; it encourages states to work with CMS on measures they are considering.  A LeadingAge article on these developments is here.
  • Read more details in this LeadingAge article, and also here, here.  
  • HHS Distribution of COVID Test Kits to Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Providers WILL continue after the PHE ends. Providers can email the HHS Binax Team at Binax.Team@HHS.gov as to their needs. 
  • CDC Releases Updated Recommendations for Healthcare Providers. This LeadingAge article provides details. The Community Transmission rates metric for SARS-CoV-2 data will sunset and has been removed from the guidance.  This metric influenced the use of source control (or masking) in all healthcare settings as well as admission testing in nursing homes. The updates in the Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic include: 
    • Admission testing in nursing homes will be at the discretion of the facility, as it already is for other healthcare settings.    

o    Facilities will be encouraged to look beyond SARS-CoV-2 and make broader masking decisions based on facility-and-patient-level characteristics and local metrics that could reflect increasing respiratory virus transmission in the community.   

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