Nursing Home Residents Should Avoid Family Parties

mbl.is/Eggert Jóhannesson

Vala Hafstað

An advisory group for the operation of nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic strongly advises nursing home residents not to attend Christmas or New Year’s parties with friends and family, Morgunblaðið reports.

Guidelines sent to nursing homes yesterday state that should a nursing home resident attend such a gathering, that same person would have to spend time in quarantine at the home to which he or she was invited and be tested for the coronavirus before given permission to return to the nursing home.

Therefore, this Christmas will be quite different from usual for nursing home residents in good enough health to be able to visit family over the holidays. In recent years, though, the number of residents in such good health has declined substantially.

Nursing homes will be open to visitors every day during the holidays, but only one or two people may visit each resident a day.

Guests are not allowed to stay in common areas. As a result, they will not be able to dine with the residents, as has commonly been allowed. Visits are not permitted at mealtimes.

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