New orders have been issued in Dallas County for long-term care facilities.
Under the new orders issued Thursday night, nursing homes will have to immediately notify staff and residents of all COVID-19 infections.
Prior to this order, long-term care facilities that had confirmed cases of coronavirus could not accept new patients unless certain conditions were met. The new order allows long-term care facilities to accept new patients if they are a patient being transferred from a facility closed by the state.
The order also reinforces social distancing and cleaning practices to protect residents and workers.
The order went into effect at 11:59 p.m. Thursday, and will continue until 11:59 p.m. on May 15, or until it is either rescinded, superseded or amended.
Stay-at-home orders for the City of Dallas and for Texas as a whole expire at the end of April, but Dallas County has extended their "Safer at Home" order until May 15.
The City of Dallas extended a disaster declaration through May 12, which aligns with the state's disaster declaration.
