Coronavirus: Austin Nursing Homes Outbreaks Prompt New Rules

AUSTIN, TX — Eight outbreaks of the new coronavirus illness at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities in Travis County — infecting 67 staff members and resulting in 15 resident deaths — prompted the health authority to issue updated control orders for the sector on Monday.

The updated control orders are designed to enhance protections against the spread of the COVID-19 virus among vulnerable populations in the event of positive cases and clusters, health officials explained.

The updated orders stipulate that if there is a confirmed case of COVID-19 in a facility, all patients, staff and next of kin must be notified. Additionally, in the event of a cluster at a facility involving two or more patients, the facility must:

• Restrict receiving new patients into the facility or any returning patients to the facility until the facility has been cleared by Austin Public Health (APH); and
• Make all clinical staff, non-clinical staff and contractors available for testing, if requested.

A so-called strike team of additional personnel and equipment may be deployed to supplement staffing at facilities until the outbreak is controlled as determined by Austin Public Health, according to the updated order. A strike team, officials explained, is a part of the Incident Command System (ICS) followed by the Austin-Travis County Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

To date, there have been eight outbreaks at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities with 67* staff and 96 residents infected, and 15 resident deaths related to COVID-19, health officials confirmed.

“It is critical that we continue to look for new avenues to protect our most vulnerable populations,” Dr. Mark Escott, Austin-Travis County Interim Health Authority, said in a prepared statement. “We cannot safely discuss reopening before we have successfully cocooned these vulnerable populations. We must continue to look for additional personal protective equipment, more rapid testing, and increased staffing for nursing homes and long-term care facilities.”

The updated order requires all individuals entering the facility to wear a surgical face mask or cloth face covering, if surgical masks are unavailable. All employees and contractors who require contact with residents within six feet must utilize the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recommended Personal Protective Equipment for COVID-19.

In accordance with the Stay Home-Work Safe Order, the updated order also includes that only visitors providing critical assistance should be permitted into the facility, and the facility may not admit any individual to the facility with a temperature of 99.6 ◦F or above. Proactive efforts to protect vulnerable populations began on March 11 with the initial control order, which outlined proactive measures to avoid spread in long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes. Actions mandated in this initial order are still included in the updated order:

• “Help Prevent Disease” signage must be displayed prominently in the facility.
• Hand sanitizer must be available and supplied to employees, patients, visitors and volunteers.
• The facility must symptom and temperature check all employees, patients, visitors and volunteers prior to entry to the facility.

For more information and updates, visit www.AustinTexas.gov/COVID19.

Health officials noted that numbers are provisional and subject to change as additional information is received. Some nursing home staff work at multiple facilities and may be duplicated in the numbers, according to health officials.