Massachusetts nursing home workers must get coronavirus vaccine, Charlie Baker administration says

Aug. 4—Massachusetts nursing home staff must get the coronavirus vaccine by mid October, the state announced on Wednesday as cases spike in nursing homes amid the more highly contagious delta variant.

Nursing homes had been ravaged for the first 10 months of the pandemic, but then infections plummeted at the start of the vaccine rollout. Now cases are rising again at a rapid pace with the delta variant here.

The Executive Office of Health and Human Services under Gov. Charlie Baker said the vax mandate for long-term care staff is to "strengthen infection control and protect vulnerable residents."

"COVID-19 vaccination is the most effective method for preventing infection and serious illness from the virus, and staff at long-term care facilities and other health care providers serving vulnerable populations are critical in efforts to protect older residents," the state agency said in a statement on Wednesday.

As of last week, the state had reported 672,488 virus cases overall and 17,714 COVID deaths.

There have been 34,044 virus cases among residents and staff of nursing homes, and 5,613 deaths among those cases.

After a drop in the infection rate at nursing homes following the initial vaccine rollout, there has been a five-fold jump in resident and staff cases and an increase in COVID-related resident deaths over the past 30 days.

There are 378 skilled nursing facilities, as well as the two Soldiers' Homes in Massachusetts. As of Monday, 155 facilities had less than 75% of their staff fully vaccinated.

"Skilled Nursing Facilities, as well as the two Soldiers' Homes will be required to ensure all personnel are fully vaccinated against COVID-19," reads the long-term care staff vaccine mandate.

"Personnel includes all individuals employed directly or by contract by the LTC provider," the mandate reads. "All unvaccinated personnel are to receive a first dose of a two-dose series by September 1, 2021; and be fully vaccinated by October 10, 2021. To ensure compliance, beginning October 10, 2021, the Department of Public Health will enforce this mandate for provider operated Skilled Nursing Homes."

The Holyoke Soldiers' Home had the state's most devastating outbreak of the pandemic last spring.

There will be vax exemptions for those with "medical restrictions or sincerely held religious beliefs that prevent them from receiving vaccination."

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