Updated CDC Guidance and Implications for ACF and Assisted Living Masking
While we continue to await updated direction from the Department of Health (DOH), adult care facility (ACF) and assisted living providers should make note of updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In its Feb. 10th Dear Administrator Letter (DAL) updating masking guidance, DOH directs ACFs to follow CDC community guidance and CDC guidance for congregate living settings. Both of these CDC pages were updated on May 11th. While DOH has yet to issue updated guidance, presumably, this should inform masking policies and procedures for ACF and assisted living providers.
The CDC retired the Community Levels and Community Transmission Levels that had informed provider masking policies and procedures, per the Feb. 10th DAL. The updated CDC guidance states that assisted living facilities should apply prevention strategies based on COVID-19 hospital admission levels for their general operations.
Overall, the guidance recommends that when the COVID-19 hospital admission level is Medium or High:
- If you are at high risk of getting very sick, wear a high-quality mask or respirator (e.g., N95) when indoors in public.
- If you have household or social contact with someone at high risk of getting very sick, consider self-testing to detect infection before contact, and consider wearing a high-quality mask when indoors with them.
The guidance recommends that when the COVID-19 hospital admission level is High:
- Wear a high-quality mask or respirator.
- If you are at high risk of getting very sick, consider avoiding non-essential indoor activities in public where you could be exposed.
The guidance also continues to recommend an assessment of the risks of the particular setting and how those risks can be mitigated. Risks include the characteristics of the population, the structural and operational characteristics of the facility, and the active spread in the community. Risks can be mitigated by using enhanced prevention strategies, including improving ventilation, enhanced cleaning and disinfection, mask use, and physical distancing.
The CDC guidance also indicates that health care services (such as home care or hospice services) delivered in these settings should be informed by the CDC's Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations.
We will inform members of any updates we receive from DOH.
Contact: Diane Darbyshire, ddarbyshire@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8828