Archive of COVID-19 Public Health Guidance and Directives

Listed below are previously-issued guidance and directives from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) related to COVID-19 that have been rescinded or replaced. All lapsed guidance and directives are listed below for reference only.

EOHHS Congregate Care

Guidance for Congregate Care Programs

• EOHHS COVID-19 guidance for organizations that operate congregate care programs
  • Dated July 1, 2022, January 3, 2022, November 19, 2021, August 4, 2021, July 9, 2021, June 14, 2021, and March 22, 2021.

Guidance on Medication Administration in Congregate Care Facilities

• DPH Guidance, December 30, 2022: Prepackaged Medication Administration by Non-MAP Certified staff in Registered Community Programs
• DPH Advisory, January 21, 2022: Medication Administration in HOCs and DOC Facilities during Public Health Emergency

Health Care Professionals

• Guidance for Health Care Personnel with SARS/CoV2 Infection or Exposure
  • Issued on December 29, 2021: Isolation and Quarantine for Health Care Personnel
  • Considerations for Health Care Personnel After COVID-19 Vaccination, December 16, 2020
• DPH Guidance to implement the DPH Order authorizing additional individuals to vaccinate, June 14, 2021

Clinicians

• Guidance implementing Order of the Commissioner of Public Health (COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Order No. 2022-02) regarding unsupervised practice by physician assistants (issued January 13, 2022)
• COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthrough Hospitalization and Death Report Form
  • Memorandum: Reporting of Vaccine Breakthrough COVID-19 Cases Resulting in Hospitalization or Death

Lab professionals

• DPH Guidance, August 30, 2021: COVID-19 Variant Reporting and Specimen Requests Memo
• DPH Guidance, June 14, 2021: Temporary Laboratory License for CLIA-waived COVID-19 Testing and Clinical Laboratory Alternate Sites
  • Application Form for Temporary Laboratory License for CLIA-waived COVID-19 Testing

Sexual and Domestic Violence (SDV) service providers

• COVID-19 Guidance for SDV Programs, updated April 23, 2020

Health Care Organizations

• DPH Guidance, January 14, 2022: Provider Credentialing and Transfer of Clinical Staff at Healthcare Facilities
• COVID-19 Vaccination Letter to Health Care Facilities and Organizations - Medicare and Medicaid Programs, November 19, 2021
  • This DPH letter to providers communicates the COVID-19 vaccination requirements for healthcare care facilities and organizations that participate in the Medicare and Medicaid program.
• Considerations for Health Care Personnel After COVID-19 Vaccination, December 16, 2020

Hospitals

• DPH Memorandum, June 20, 2023: Skilled Nursing Facility Short-Term Rehab Capacity Program
• DPH Guidance, April 13, 2023: Updated Guidance Regarding Implementation of Alternate Acute Inpatient Care Space

• DPH Memorandum, December 22, 2022: Skilled Nursing Facility Short-Term Rehab Temporary Program

• DPH Hospital Visitation Guidance
  • Dated October 12, 2022, February 23, 2022, January 5, 2022, July 22,2021, March 16, 2020, June 6, 2020, September 16, 2020, and June 14, 2021.
• DPH Guidance: Guidance Regarding Non-Essential, Non-Urgent Scheduled Procedures 
  • Dated February 23, 2022, February 4, 2022, December 21, December 10, November 26, 2021 and November 23, 2021.
• DPH Guidance: Hospital Transfer and Discharge Guidance 
  • Dated January 5, 2022, December 31, 2020. 
• DPH Guidance: Space on Hospital Premises for Patient Treatment
  • Dated December 10, 2021, October 26, 2021 and June 14, 2021.
• DPH Guidance, July 30, 2021: WebEOC Data Reporting for COVID-19
  • Attachment – WebEOC COVID Questions
• DPH Guidance: Vaccination of Admitted Patients
  • Dated May 24, 2021.
• DPH Guidance, July 31, 2020: Update to Defining Aerosol Generating Procedures and Recommended PPE
• Reminder about the importance of newborn screening and testing, April 14, 2020: Newborn Screening and COVID-19
  • Temporary changes in policy for newborn hearing screening, April 17, 2020: Letter to Birth Hospitals 

Non-Acute Care Hospitals

• DPH Guidance: Caring for Non-Acute Care Hospital Patients
  • Dated May 22, 2020 

Clinics

• DPH Guidance: Clinic Space for COVID-19 Testing, Treatment and Vaccine Administration
  • Dated October 26, 2021, June 14, 2021
• DPH Guidance, July 31, 2020: Update to Defining Aerosol Generating Procedures and Recommended PPE

Dialysis Facilities

• DPH Guidance, January 31, 2022: Implementation of Order of the Commissioner of Public Health Regarding Staffing at Out-of-Hospital Dialysis Units

Substance Addiction Service Providers

DPH guidance:

• Overdose Response and COVID-19 Transmission Risk, June 4, 2020
• Consent for Treatment/Data Submission in BSAS Licensed and Contracted Programs, April 3, 2020

Emergency Responders & Law Enforcement

DPH has issued guidance to emergency responders and has shared important guidance from the CDC, including:

• DPH Guidance, April 3, 2020:
  • Waiver for EMS Transport of Emergency Patients in Impending Childbirth or with Pregnancy Complications to Designated Alternate Sites on Hospital Grounds

Caregivers

• DPH guidance for all health care organizations and providers, December 16, 2020: Considerations for Health Care Personnel After COVID-19 Vaccination

For long-term care facilities

Signs for facilities:

• Caution Sign - Enhanced Precautions (updated February 2, 2022)
  • Caution Sign - Enhanced Precautions - Spanish
  • Caution Sign - Enhanced Precautions - Portuguese
  • Caution Sign - Enhanced Precautions - Haitian Creole

Guidance documents:

• DPH Guidance, updated March 13, 2023: Caring for Long-Term Care Residents during the COVID-19 Emergency
• DPH Guidance, April 4, 2022: Antigen Rapid Point of Care COVID-19 Testing for Long-Term Care Facility Visitors
• DPH Guidance, July 30, 2021: Vaccination of Assisted Living and Long-Term Care Residents, Visitors, and Staff
• DPH Guidance, October 5, 2020: Point of Care Testing Devices for Nursing Homes
  • Reporting Template for Submitting Positive and Negative Test Results
  • EMS Regions for Long Term Care Facilities

• Guidance for family members of Nursing Facility, Rest Home or Assisted Living residents, April 9, 2020: Considerations for Moving a Loved One Home from a Nursing Facility, Rest Home or Assisted Living Residence

• DPH Guidance: Caring for Long-Term Care Residents during the COVID-19 Emergency
  • Dated October 13, 2022, June 10, 2022, January 25, 2022, January 3, 2022, December 15, 2021, September 24, 2021, August 4, 2021, June 18, 2021, May 24, 2021, March 12, 2021, December 7, 2020, November 18, 2020, September 15, 2020, July 30, 2020 and April 29, 2020.
• DPH Guidance: Updates to Long-Term Care Surveillance Testing
  • Dated December 1, 2022, June 10, 2022, September 24, 2021, August 4, 2021, May 5, 2021, March 12, December 7, November 23, October 5, August 27, August 17 and July 1 memoranda.
• DPH Guidance, August 19, 2021: COVID-19 Additional Dose Vaccination Guidance for Immunocompromised Individuals
• DPH Guidance: Vaccination of Assisted Living and Long-Term Care Residents, Visitors, and Staff
  • Dated June 22, 2021.
• Visitation Guidance for Long Term Care and Assisted Living Residences dated June 14, 2021

For assisted living residences

• DPH Guidance, June 10, 2022: Updates to Long-Term Care Surveillance Testing
• Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA) guidance: Integrated Guidance and Resources for Assisted Living Residences (ALRs) During the COVID-19 Pandemic  
  • Dated August 9, 2021, June 14, 2021,  March 17, 2021, January 20, 2021, November 9, 2020, September 21, 2020, July 2, 2020, June 1. 2020 and March 16, 2020 Revised Guidance for Assisted Living Residences during COVID-19 memorandums

For in-home caregivers

• Guidance for agency based in-home caregivers & workers (e.g. Home Health Agencies, Personal Care Management Agencies, Home Care Agencies, Adult Foster Care, etc.):  Agency In-Home Care COVID-19 Guidance
• Guidance for agencies working with the DPH Bureau of Family Health and Nutrition: Reopening Massachusetts: Guidance for BFHN Home Visiting Programs, updated June 21, 2021

For Early Intervention providers

Guidance for Massachusetts Early Intervention vendor agencies:

• COVID-19 - Massachusetts Early Intervention Telehealth Guidelines
• MA EI Telehealth Policy for Specialty Providers:
  • ABA Services
  • DIR/Floortime Services
  • Vision Loss and Deaf/Hard of Hearing

For community day programs

Guidance for community day program settings (e.g. Adult Day Health, Day Habilitation, Clubhouses, Councils on Aging, etc.):

• EOHHS COVID-19 Guidance for day programs
  • Dated: August 16, 2022, July 1, 2022, August 4, 2021, July 26, 2021 and June 14, 2021 guidance.

For human service transportation

• EOHHS COVID-19 Guidance for Human Service Transportation
  • Dated July 1, 2022 , June 24, 2021-June 30, 2022 and its EOHHS COVID-19 Human Service Transportation Checklist.

Businesses

DPH guidance:

• Mold and Legionella Reopening Guidance, issued May 22, 2020

Recreational Camps and Programs

• DPH guidance: Recreational Camps and Programs Health and Safety Standards for Reopening

Local government

• Guidance for Town Meetings to Address COVID-19 PDF | Doc

Insurers

• DPH Guidance to implement the DPH Order regarding access to certain immunization information for insurance carriers and MassHealth.