The state says it will issue new guidance to nursing homes to allow family and friends to do in-person, outdoor visits with residents.

Indiana announced Wednesday it will test all nursing home staff for COVID-19 over the next month.

American Senior Communities runs the facilities for Health & Hospital Corporation of Marion County.

The state has repeatedly been pressured to release the names of long-term care facilities that have positive COVID-19 cases. But state officials refuse to do so. Box insists she's not trying to protect anyone by shielding the information.

The group sent a letter today to Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, the Indiana State Department of Health, and the Family and Social Services Administration calling for greater transparency.

Steven Abdo, a nurse aide at Oaknoll Retirement Residence in Iowa City for four years, explains what it's like to work with residents who don't know when they can see their families again.

States have created a patchwork of requirements for providing information about COVID-19 outbreaks. Some states tell the public where cases and deaths have occurred. Others, like Indiana, only report the total number of cases and deaths at these facilities, and leave more detailed notification to the companies.

The new tallies show 420 COVID-19 nursing home resident deaths, or about 36 percent of the 1,151 total statewide deaths. The statistics, however, dont specify when the newly reported nursing home deaths occurred.

Indiana will now require long-term care facilities such as nursing homes to dedicate a staff member for communicating with residents and their families on COVID-19 information.

Nursing homes around Indiana will be allowed to establish facilities specifically for coronavirus patients under an order issued Tuesday by the state health commissioner.