Campaigners demand right to visit loved ones at nursing homes during Austin rally

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Campaigners urged Governor Greg Abbott to relax strict rules surrounding nursing home visitations in Texas at a rally held at the State Capitol Saturday morning.

During the rally, caregivers talked about their personal stories and revealed how long it has been since they’ve seen their loved ones as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In passionate speeches, leaders of the movement called for the right to allow one assigned caregiver to visit each nursing home resident.

They also argued that current regulations, which require zero positive cases of COVID-19 before visitors can enter a facility, are untenable while these facilities are admitting patients who have contracted the virus.

Supporters of the movement held signs reading “Isolation kills Too,” “Families are ‘essential’” and “Just a girl, missing her daddy.”

Organizers previously told KXAN they did not want to protest, but felt it was necessary when the ban on visitations was extended until at least September 29.