
Are nursing home residents now allowed to visit family or friends during the holidays? This question was asked by CSV MP Marc Spautz in the Chamber on Wednesday. According to Spautz, some homes have immediately decided to tighten their rules for fear of residents taking the virus back home.
Cahen has not yet heard of a house prohibiting residents from going home with their families. However, managing the virus in such houses is quite a task, the minister said.
A resident leaving their home to visit family will be quarantined until the resident can provide a negative test after 7 days. The houses that have now decided on this rule, however, have also massively expanded their visiting hours, so that during the holidays many more people can come visit, but often with prior registration.
The minister asks every family, especially those with older members, to reconsider getting together this year. They could wait until the vaccine is available, she suggested.