Care home residents can look forward to seeing even more family and friends in the near future as visitation restrictions will be lifting even further at the end of May, according to the provincial government.
As part of the first step of the Re-opening Roadmap, all residents in long-term care and personal care homes will be able to welcome an unlimited number of visitors beginning on May 30. Visitors will be allowed two at a time for indoor visits, or four at a time for outdoor visits.
"This announcement reinforces the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s commitment to families as essential supports for the physical and mental needs of those living in long-term care," SHA CEO Scott Livingstone said. "This has been a difficult time for many families and we want to thank them for their cooperation and look forward to continuing to work together to keep their loved ones safe."
Until May 30, visitation is still currently limited to compassionate care reasons in facilities where less than 90 per cent of residents have been fully vaccinated for at least three weeks.
The decision to lift visitation constraints is due to the increased rate of vaccination, said officials, as it provides an extra layer of protection for vulnerable seniors.
Restrictions have affected 252 personal care homes, 151 long-term care homes and eight other facilities with long-term care beds across the province.
Following the steps of the reopening plan, visitation restrictions will continue to lift ever further as vaccination rates continue upwards.
In Step Two, expected the third week in June, four visitors will be allowed at indoor visits and nine at outdoor visits.
Details for Step Three, tentatively set for mid-July, are still in development by the chief medical health officer, but previous announcements regarding the reopening plan indicated that some public health orders may be lifted entirely at that time.
Visitors in care homes will still be expected to follow other public health guidelines when visiting, including masking, physical distancing, hand hygiene, and temperature screening.
"This has been a difficult time for many families and we want to thank them for their cooperation and look forward to continuing to work together to keep their loved ones safe,” said Livingstone.
