State Health Department Restricts Public Access To Assisted Living Centers

DENVER (CBS4) -- The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced Saturday new limitations on visitors to skilled nursing, assisted living and intermediate care facilities due to concerns over transmission of the COVID-19 virus to vulnerable older people.

The restrictions require facilities to offer alternative forms of communication between visitors and patients. The facilities must also document symptom screening of all individuals entering the buildings.

Any visitor deemed essential to a resident's care -- such as agency staff, EMS personnel, transportation providers, equipment suppliers, and facility volunteers -- will be allowed to continue that care, though with screening restrictions.

"We have learned a lot from other states where COVID first appeared,," said Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director of CDPHE, "and are taking this step because we believe it's necessary to lessen the possibility of exposure to people living in these facilities. We will continue to exercise every precaution necessary to protect those who are vulnerable. We all play a role in slowing and limiting the spread of this virus."

Similar rules were initiated in Washington state three days ago after 20 deaths attributed to COVID-19 occurred in a single Seattle-area long-term care facility.

Colorado enacted its rules under the direction of Governor Jared Polis.

"We all have a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable among us from contracting COVID-19," Polis said. "It starts with staying isolated even if your symptoms are mild. We are all in this together, and we all have people we love who are particularly vulnerable — our parents, our grandparents, our aunts and uncles."

Members of the general public do not usually experience serious symptoms, according to the state health department. But older people are at particularly high risk of getting the COVID-19. Older people also have a higher fatality rate.

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