COVID-19 Facility Information

Facility Information and Alerts

Category/Topic	Brief Description of Changes During the State of Emergency	Links to Full Document
Reporting	Hospital ESS data entry of Federal Reporting Requirements FEMA confirms state reporting system (ESS) as acceptable alternative to direct hospital submissions Daily hospital reporting update related to numbers of patients admitted from long term care facilities New CMS nursing home reporting requirements	AHCA’s ESS: Federal Reporting Updates FEMA ESS Acceptance Letter AHCA’s ESS: Daily Hospital Reporting Update AHCA E-blast – New CMS Nursing Home Reporting Requirements
Testing	Screening criteria for testing What labs to use E-blast Florida Department of Health (FDOH) Emergency Order - Practitioner and Laboratory Testing for COVID-19 E-blast with guidance on diagnosing and clearing patients for transfer and assigning Person Under Investigation Numbers to suspected cases COVID-19 Testing and Laboratory Director Qualifications E-blast -- Mandatory COVID-19 Testing for Nursing Home and ALF Staff Logistics Curative State – Sponsored Testing for Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facility and Intermediate Care Facility for the Developmentally Disabled Staff E-blast -- Emergency Rule: Requiring Staff COVID-19 Testing at Long-term Care Facilities	Hospital and Physician COVID-19 Testing: Elderly and Medically Vulnerable Individuals Hospital and Physician COVID-19 Testing: Elderly and Medically Frail - Alert Latest CDC Guidance Hospital Testing Update- Person Under Investigation FDOH Emergency Order COVID-19 Testing Emergency Rule: Requiring Staff COVID-19 Testing at Long-term Care Facilities 59AER20-2 Mandatory Entry and Testing for Assisted Living Facilities eff 5/8/20 - Q&A 59AER20-3 Mandatory Entry for Testing and Infection Control for Nursing Homes eff 5/8/20 - Q&A 59AER20-4 Mandatory Testing for Assisted Living Facility Staff eff 6/15/20 - Q&A 59AER20-5 Mandatory Testing for Nursing Home Staff eff 6/15/20 - Q&A 59AER20-7 Mandatory Testing for Intermediate Care Facility for the Developmentally Disabled Staff eff 8/3/20 (New) 59AER20-8 Hospital Screening Requirements for Long-Term Care Facility Residents eff 8/5/20 (New) 59AER20-9 Mandatory Entry and Testing for Assisted Living Facilities eff 8/6/20 (New) 59AER20-10 Mandatory Entry for Testing and Infection Control for Nursing Homes eff 8/6/20 (New) Information on COVID-19 Testing and Laboratory Director Qualifications E-blast Mandatory COVID-19 Testing for Nursing Home and ALF Staff Logistics sent 6/23/20 Curative State-Sponsored Testing for Nursing Homes, ALFs and ICFDDs 59AER20-6 Hospital Screening Requirements for Long-Term Care Facility Residents eff 7/15/20 Long-term Care Testing Clarification eff 7/16/20 Long-Term Care Facilities Transfers and Testing Updates Sent 7/20 (New)
Screening	Emergency Order prohibiting persons entering long-term care facilities, exemptions listed Emergency Order prohibiting persons entering long-term care facilities, extended – E-blast Screening requirements of persons under investigation and/or confirmed cases at LTC facilities Screening criteria for specific exemptions Industry recommended tool kit for screening and notice	Division of Emergency Management Visitation Limits at Residential, Skilled Nursing and Long-term Care DEM Emergency Order No. 20-006 - Alert - Q&As DBPR Emergency Order No. 20-002 Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) Visitor Screening Toolkit Alert Employee Screening Tool - Employee Criteria Not Met Log Visitor Screening Tool - Visitor Criteria Not Met Log Governor’s LTC Facility Re-Opening Task Force (8/6/20)
PPE	CDC guidance for wearing and making cloth masks Universal Face Mask Use in Long Term Care Facilities PPE Webinar Training for Long Term Care Facilities Flyer Waives 499.006	Use of Cloth Face Coverings to Help Slow the Spread of COVID-19 Universal Face Mask Use: Residential and Long-Term Care Facilities - Clarification PPE Webinar Flyer DBPR Emergency Order 2020-02 - s. 409.006 F.S.
Independent Residents / Retirement Communities	List of prohibited activities Criteria for restricting access to the facility	Independent Living: Guidance for Senior Living Communities Retirement and Independent Living Communities: Prevention Guidance Retirement and Independent Living Communities: Interim Prevention Guidance
Emergency Orders	Extension of quality assessment payment deadline for nursing homes and intermediate care facilities Emergency Order outlining Phase 1 Recovery guidance for individuals, businesses, and institutions Coronavirus (COVID-19) added to practitioner and laboratory reporting requirements Waives PPE requirements outlined in section 499.006, Florida Statutes All practitioners shall immediately cease performing medically unnecessary, non-urgent or non-emergency procedures or surgeries Emergency Order prohibiting persons entering long-term care facilities Screening requirements of persons under investigation and/or confirmed cases at LTC facilities Pharmacists may dispense up to 30-day emergency prescription refill of maintenance medication Measures necessary to protect the public health Suspension of statutes and rules pertaining to Level 2 background screening	Temporary Extension of Nursing Home and Intermediate Care Facility Quality Assessment Reporting for Medicaid (Emergency Order AHCA No. 20-003) Phase 1: Safe. Smart. Step-by-Step. Plan for Florida’s Recovery (Emergency Order No. 20-112) Department of Health Emergency Rule No. 64DER20-26 Department of Business and Professional Regulation (Emergency Order 2020-02) Non-essential Elective Medical Procedures (Executive Order No. 20-72) Department of Emergency Management (DEM Order No. 20-006) Department of Emergency Management (DEM Order No. 20-002) Declaring a Public Health Emergency (Executive Order No. 20-52) Declaring a State of Emergency (Executive Order No. 20-51) Department of Health Declaration of a State of Emergency (Emergency Order) Emergency Order AHCA No. 20-001 – Background Screening
Regulatory Information	Overcapacity Authority	Overcapacity 408.821(2), Florida Statutes
Staffing	Employment background screening when fingerprint vendors are unavailable Staff curfew letter to travel during curfew periods Return to work criteria for essential personnel, confirmed or suspected COVID cases	Emergency Order AHCA No. 20-001 – Background Screening Health Care Provider Background Screening Curfew Letter for Health Care Workers Return to Work Criteria Updated 7/20
Transfer	Notify hospital EDs of COVID-19 status prior to transfer ALL hospitals assess for COVID-19 prior to transfer E-blast nursing home COVID-19 transfers E-blast Long-Term Care Facilities Transfers and Testing Updates	Transfer Form: SNF to Hospital Transfer Form: Hospital to SNF Nursing Home COVID-19 Response/Resident Transfer Long-Term Care Facilities Transfers and Testing Updates Sent 7/20 (New)
General Facility Resource Information	Agency directs nursing homes and residential healthcare facilities to immediately review facility protocols Guidance for essential businesses operating during COVID-19 pandemic How to disinfect your facility properly Visitation to nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other residential care facilities is restricted. Guidance on organizational structure to prepare for and combat COVID-19 Updated AMA Special coding advice during COVID-19 public health emergency Long-term care and Residential Facility Notification Requirement Reminder Federal Waivers: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid certification waivers CMS Grants Expanded Ability for Hospitals to Offer Long-term Care Services (“Swing-Beds”) for COVID-19 Patients Agency extends Quality Assessment payment deadline for nursing homes and Intermediate Care Facilities Discontinuation of transmission-based precautions and disposition of patients in long term care facilities	Health Care Facilities and Providers: Novel Coronavirus Update Resources: Large Community Events & Mass Gatherings Guidance (Interim): Business and Employer COVID-19 Response and Planning Facility Disinfection for Sick Persons Local Law Enforcement: Summoning to Facilities Nursing Home and Long Term Care Facilities: COVID-19 Preparedness Checklist COVID-19 Checklist: Older Persons Cleaning and Disinfecting Community Facilities: Recommendations Updated AMA Special Coding Advice During COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Document Long-Term Care and Residential Facility Notification Requirement Reminder – E-blast CMS Current Emergencies: Waivers and Flexibilities (New) CMS Grants Expanded Ability for Hospitals to Offer Long-term Care Services (“Swing-Beds”) for COVID-19 Patients AHCA E-blast Extension of Quality Assessment Payment Deadline for Nursing Homes and Intermediate Care Facilities CDC discontinuation of transmission-based precautions guidance *(updated July 17, 2020)*
Food Safety	Best practices on safe food handling and employee health in retail settings during COVID-19 Pandemic	Best Practices for Retail Stores, Restaurants, and Pick-up/Food Delivery Services Fact Sheet on Best Practices for Retail Stores, Restaurants, and Pick-up/ Food Delivery Services
Building and Physical Plant	Office of Plans and Construction (OPC) updates Hospital Isolation Room Conversion	OPC COVID-19 Updates Guidance for Temporary Isolation Rooms
CDC and DOH Guidance	Centers for Disease Control COVID-19 Information Florida Department of Health COVID-19 Information CDC trainings for health care providers	Centers for Disease Control COVID-19 Website Florida Department of Health COVID-19 Website CDC trainings for health care providers – E-blast

Health Care Facility Updates

The Agency requires all licensees providing residential or inpatient services to use an approved database for reporting its emergency status, planning or operations. Log into the Emergency Status System (ESS) to update information regarding census, available beds, and all other reportable event-related information. The system serves as a monitoring tool, so if you must make a request for assistance, please contact your local Emergency Operations Center--a link is available at: https://www.floridadisaster.org/counties/. For information and user guides on gaining access to ESS, logging in, or updating your emergency status, visit this webpage: http://ahca.myflorida.com/MCHQ/Emergency_Activities/index.shtml. Please call 850-412-4462 outside normal business hours for ESS support.