The California Department of Health issued a new All Facilities Letter, updating guidance for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) to limit the transmission of COVID-19. The letter authorizes SNFs to modify visitation policies in accordance with CMS and CDC guidance. It also provides guidelines for group activities and communal dining based on residents' vaccination status. SNFs are now required to develop processes for verifying the vaccination status of all visitors and tracking documentation of SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic tests for unvaccinated and incompletely vaccinated visitors seeking indoor visits. Unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated visitors must show documentation of a negative SARS-CoV-2 test within 72 hours before each indoor visit. The letter emphasizes the importance of adhering to core principles of COVID-19 infection prevention and outlines requirements for indoor and outdoor visitation, communal dining, and group activities. Facilities must comply with resident's rights requirements pertaining to visitation and may be subject to citation and enforcement actions for non-compliance.

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