Residential care centers where 90 percent of the residents and 70 percent of the staff have been vaccinated with two doses and where the second dose has already happened 10 days ago, can carefully facilitate more contact between residents and with visitors. This was decided.
Good news for residential care centers. At 4 pm, the Flemish care task force examined the recommendations of the GEMS, the official advisory body of the government, and is now following them. In the residential care centers where 90 percent of the residents and 70 percent of the care personnel are vaccinated, relaxation can be made on day 10 after the second dose has been administered.
The most important relaxation comes for visiting arrangements. The GEMS recommends increasing the number of visitors to two permanent contacts per resident. Every two weeks, the resident would be allowed to choose a different visitor duo. Outside the walls of the residential care center, residents may soon be able to meet in separate groups of four, by analogy with the scheme that applies throughout society.
External service providers in the residential care center, such as hairdressers and non-medical contact professions, follow the rules established by the Consultation Committee. Pre-testing is strongly recommended. External animators are not welcome.
This relaxation provides some breathing space for the nursing home residents, because until now they were only allowed to have one fixed cuddly contact, supplemented by a loved one who had to stay away at all times.
In addition, there will also be a relaxation for life within the retirement home walls. The different departments of a residential care center should no longer form separate bubbles. Good news for the Bingo evenings. Although other strict safety regulations will of course continue to apply.
Stay cautious
Minister Wouter Beke is satisfied with this first step. “The vaccination coverage is very good in our residential care centers. We also see that infections in residential care centers and major outbreaks are decreasing. This also means that we can gradually relax the visiting scheme. But we will of course also have to remain cautious. Many people have been vaccinated in residential care centers, but not yet in our society. ”
Margot Cloet, top woman of umbrella organization Zorgnet-Icuro, reacts positively. “This proposal is what we wanted to work towards ourselves. I myself also want it to be relaxed gradually. For visiting arrangements, but also for activities in common areas. Although we will have to remain very cautious in the beginning. We need to monitor closely the effect of the easing. ”
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