On September 15, the Director of the California Department of Public Health issued an order rescinding the COVID testing requirement for unvaccinated visitors in hospitals, nursing homes, and intermediate care and assisted living facilities. Citing current vaccination and booster rates for Californians, the Department ended its required testing program for all visitors that was started during the Omicron wave of COVID infections on December 31, 2021 and then limited to unvaccinated visitors on February 8, 2022. The order means that visitation rights are almost entirely restored to their pre-pandemic norms. Visitors are still required to wear masks, follow infection prevention practices while visiting, and comply with any local public health orders, but residents should have complete access to visitors as protected by law and regulations.
(posted September 19, 2022)