March 1st COVID-19 Update
New updates pertaining to the COVID-19 emergency continue to be announced by both the state and federal government on a regular basis. The latest developments for providers of long-term/post-acute care (LTPAC) and senior services are reviewed below.
As a reminder, LeadingAge NY continues to convene weekly webinars on Mondays at 11 a.m. to address emerging questions on COVID-19. A recording of our most recent webinar, held on Feb. 28th, is available here, and a list of the items shared by LeadingAge NY staff in the webinar chat can be accessed here. If you have questions for next week’s update or would like the access information, please contact Jeff Diamond.
Cross-Sector Updates
CDC Unveils New County COVID-19 Measures
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed a new methodology for measuring the impact of COVID-19 on the county level. This new methodology, referred to as “Community Levels,” is focused on both the prevalence and severity of COVID-19 cases in the community. It is based on measures of infections per 100,000 individuals over the last seven days combined with new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 individuals over the last seven days and the percentage of hospital beds occupied by COVID-19 patients (seven-day average). The methodology categorizes each county into color codes: Low (Green), Medium (Yellow), or High (Red). Based on these measures, many counties in New York are in the Low category, a number are in the Medium category, while 11 fall into the High category.
Note that at this point, this “Community Level” rating methodology is in addition to and does NOT replace the CDC county-level “Transmission Rate” methodology that uses a four-category approach (Low, Moderate, Substantial, High) and is used to determine the frequency of routine testing of unvaccinated nursing home staff. The Transmission Rate methodology relies more heavily on new cases and positive test rates and does not take severity of the cases into account. Based on that methodology, most counties in the state remain in the higher transmission categories.
While the new approach does not yet change anything in health care settings, the Governor indicated that the State is analyzing data regarding mask use in nursing homes and adult care facilities (ACFs). Users can view both Community Levels and Transmission Rates along with various other county-level indicators using the CDC COVID-19 Data Tracker application available here.
CDC Recommends New Timing for Second Doses of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines
The CDC has updated its recommendations on the timing of second doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. Specifically, the CDC now states that a three- to eight-week interval between doses of the Pfizer vaccine and a four- to eight-week interval between doses of the Moderna vaccine in a primary series may be optimal for certain individuals, especially for males 12 to 39 years old. Individuals should work with their clinicians to determine the optimal vaccination interval and corresponding length of “temporary delay” in meeting staff vaccination requirements. Click here for more information.
Provider Relief Funding Update
Since December, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has been releasing $17 billion in Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Phase 4 General Distribution funding in several waves. The largest distribution ($8.7 billion) was made in December 2021, with another $2 billion released in January 2022. Last week, the agency released another $560 million nationwide, of which about $50 million was slated for New York providers. The Phase 4 General Distribution targets almost all health care providers, and it is unclear whether this most recent wave targets specific provider types. Most distributions should be accompanied by a communication from HRSA. If your organization has not received notification that you are not eligible, you may still receive funding in an upcoming wave, as approximately $5 billion remains to be distributed. Providers with questions on a distribution can contact the Provider Support Line at 866-569-3522.
Nursing Home and ACF/Assisted Living (AL) Updates
DOH Provides Information to LTC Providers on Accessing Antiviral Therapies
LeadingAge NY has been advocating to make COVID-19 therapeutic treatments available to long term care (LTC) settings. We are pleased to report that, in response to our urging, the Department of Health (DOH) has issued a Dear Administrator Letter (DAL) providing information about how LTC settings and prescribers can access the current therapeutics available. The DAL also provides clinical considerations and guidance for prescribers. Click here for more information.
NHSN Monthly Report
Nursing home members may recall (and may see on the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN)) that the CDC developed a Monthly Report that providers will be required to complete. On the report, providers will need to indicate certain types of weekly data submissions (i.e., resident and staff COVID-19 vaccination status) that they intend to file. The reporting data had been previously delayed from Fall 2021 to March 2022 and has now again been delayed until September 2022.
FREE Project Firstline Infection Control Training Available
Direct care staff of nursing homes and AL facilities are encouraged to access FREE infection control training through Project Firstline NY. The program is offered by the New York State Health Facilities Association (NYSHFA) and other provider associations across the state and is available through a grant program established and operated by the CDC. Click here for more information.