Proclaiming “we must remain vigilant,” Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has extended her Executive Order designed to protect people in long-term care facilities from the impact of the coronavirus.
Last night, the governor signed Executive Order 2020-156, saying she was doing so in order to protect Michigan’s most vulnerable populations living in congregate settings. That extension continues the limited and temporary restrictions on the entry of individuals into health care facilities, residential care facilities, congregate care facilities, and juvenile justice facilities previously imposed by Executive Order 2020-136. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services remains empowered to specify exceptions to those restrictions.
Upon signing the order, Gov. Whitmer says, “We must remain vigilant in our fight against COVID-19 and protect our most vulnerable citizens from the spread of this virus,” and adds, “This executive order protects more long-term care facility residents and staff, including the most vulnerable residents in our nursing homes. I know seniors and their families are making sacrifices every day during this crisis, and moving forward, I will work closely with the Michigan Nursing Homes COVID-19 Preparedness Task Force to protect our most vulnerable communities, the heroes on the front lines, and our families from this virus.”
Her Executive Order 2020-156 maintains restrictions on visitation to health care facilities, residential care facilities, congregate care facilities, and juvenile justice facilities, while authorizing the Department of Health and Human Services to gradually re-open visitation as circumstances permit. That policy has been in place since March, and consistently prohibited entry into a nursing home by a person exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19. The order is effective immediately and continues through August 31, 2020.
Whitmer says the health and safety of nursing home residents and staff remains a top priority for her administration. On June 26th, she created the bipartisan Michigan Nursing Homes COVID-19 Preparedness Task Force within the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), which is charged with, among other things, analyzing relevant data on the threat of COVID-19 in nursing homes, and making recommendations to the governor on improving data quality, and releasing periodic reports to the governor on its findings and recommendations. The task force must produce a recommendation to the governor for an action plan on how to prepare nursing homes for any future wave of COVID-19 cases by August 31st.
To view Executive Order 2020-156, click the link below:
