The federal government late last week officially renewed the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) for an additional 90 days.

The extension was to be expected for leaders in the nursing home industry as the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has said it would give stakeholders 60 days notice if the PHE is not continued.

In addition to pandemic-related waivers, like the three-day stay requirement, nursing homes have also benefited from temporary bumps to Medicaid reimbursement.

In a note published on Sunday, Stifel analysts noted that given the rise in Covid-19 cases, they believed the PHE may be renewed through the end of the year.

Nursing homes specifically have seen gradual increases in case counts for both residents and staff over the last six weeks, however, resident deaths are still relatively low compared to prior waves of Covid, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Despite the continuation of the PHE, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced earlier this year that a number of Covid-related waivers would be winded down – one of which including the ability for temporary nurse aides (TNAs) to work longer on the front lines before taking their certification exams.