Covid Certs required to visit nursing homes

People visiting nursing homes will need to show a digital covid cert or proof of vaccination from Monday.

New HSE guidance will require proof of vaccination or immunity at the entrance.

Visitors may also be asked to show photo ID to make sure the cert is theirs.

However, there will be some exemptions allowed to the new requirement on compassionate grounds.

The latest advice, outlined in the document called 'Normalising visiting in Long-Term Residential Care Facilities', will be implemented from Monday.

Under the new rules, window visits are to be allowed at all times.

The document also notes that the term "visitor" does not include Essential Service Providers (ESPs), who provide healthcare, legal, financial, advocacy and regulatory services.

The document states that ESPs should be fully vaccinated (similar to healthcare workers), but recommends that they cannot be denied access.