First disturbance more than a month before official start of 2024 Atlantic Hurricane SeasonPainting rain barrels for a good cause
A woman looks through a window at a resident of a long-term care facility, sequestered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Credit: WINK News After Gov. Ron DeSantis announced his intention to lift the now five-month ban on visitation to long-term care facilities, phones began ringing off the hook with loved ones desperate to find out when they can come. Diane Lamprey lives at the Atrium at Liberty Park in Cape Coral and says she hasn’t hugged her family in “forever.” “I think it’s been hard—well, I know it’s been hard on everybody, but it’s been hard on not being able to go out and not being able to see family,” said Lamprey. Lamprey believes the people running liberty park will create a safe system. That’s the only thing holding her back from hugging her daughter again. “I hope we’re safe, because we’ve been safe here,” Lamprey said. “I hope we stay safe.” Vicki Einhorn is helping to create those safety guidelines. “We aren’t going to open the doors and just say ‘Come on in,'” Einhorn said. “We want to do it the right way and the safe way. It’ll be definitely positive for people to be able to see family again. That’s the big thing right there.” During the roundtable discussion on long-term care facilities at which he first announced the ban would be lifted, DeSantis and health professionals brought up the following guidelines for allowing visitations: All visitors must wear personal protective equipment and be screened for symptoms and a temperature; no more than two visitors at once; no visits by minors; and each facility must go two weeks since its last COVID-19 case before welcoming visitors.