R.I. GOP Calls for Bill Forcing Assisted Living Communities to Allow a Designated Visitor Per Resident

Rhode Island's House Republicans are calling for a bill to ensure all residents in assisted living communities have at least one designated visitor following months of quarantine to contain COVID-19, reports the Providence Journal . State Rep. Justin Price said the measure would permit one selected person "to safely remain with the patient, nursing, or group home resident at prescribed hours each day or week." State health officials lifted the initial ban on July 8, provided communities comply with strict infection controls — but Gov. Gina Raimondo said last week some communities are still reticent about allowing visitations, perhaps because state health guidelines urged them to fully shut down again if even one new positive coronavirus case was reported. Raimondo said the state Department of Health published updated guidelines so that "a single positive case is no longer a reason to completely halt visitation at a nursing home or an assisted living community." Rhode Island Healthcare Association CEO Scott Fraser said all the communities his group represents are cooperating with health officials to guarantee visits. "We have been heavily criticized for the number of fatalities associated with nursing communities," he explained. "Now our critics are saying we are not having enough visitations. You can't have it both ways."