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Vacation home demand soars during coronavirus pandemic

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National Housing Conference CEO David Dworkin on how the coronavirus outbreak has impacted the housing market and home buying trends.

Home sales are booming in popular vacation spots, as the pandemic leads more Americans to seek places to work or relax within driving distance of home.

In traditional vacation destinations such as Key West, Fla., Ocean City, N.J., and Traverse City, Mich., online house shopping and pending sales are up relative to the country overall, according to a new analysis by Zillow Group Inc.

CONDOS COULD MAKE COMEBACK IN HOUSING MARKET IF SINGLE-FAMILY HOME PRICES KEEP RISING 

Similar to the recent rise in interest for suburban and rural homes that are a car ride from major cities, the growth in demand for homes in vacation towns shows how Covid-19 is reshaping home shoppers’ priorities, said Jeff Tucker, senior economist at Zillow.

“Home shoppers are particularly motivated to shop for a

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HOMES 

More than 100 N.J. nursing homes have had coronavirus outbreaks since summer as crisis continues

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The coronavirus devastated New Jersey’s nursing homes this spring, killing thousands of residents and prompting a raft of measures to better protect the state’s most vulnerable population.

Since that time, long-term care facilities say they have stockpiled personal protective equipment. They’ve developed protocols for testing residents and staff and isolating those who are sickened. Visitors continue to be limited by state regulators, amid fears the virus will be reintroduced as families reunite with their loved ones.

Yet despite those precautions, the coronavirus continues to creep into the state’s nursing homes, assisted-living centers and other senior facilities, even among those that managed to eradicate their original outbreaks, Department of Health data shows.

Across New Jersey, at least 102 long-term care facilities saw new outbreaks this summer or fall after being declared COVID-19 free, according to a review by NJ Advance Media. Included in those were 11 facilities in which residents or

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HOMES 

County reports new coronavirus deaths at nursing homes for first time in 3 weeks

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For the first time in three weeks, San Diego County reported new coronavirus deaths among residents and health care workers at skilled nursing facilities.

As of Wednesday, there have been 173 deaths from COVID-19 among nursing home staff and residents combined, up from 168 reported during the last two weeks. San Diego County reported 1,139 cases of novel coronavirus among nursing home residents and 729 cases among health care workers Wednesday, up from 1,103 and 717 last week.

One new outbreak in skilled nursing homes was reported by the county this week, bringing the total to 84 over the course of the pandemic. There are 20 nursing home outbreaks that are still deemed active, down from the 21 active ones reported last week.

Unlike community outbreaks that are defined as three or more linked cases from separate households, outbreaks in nursing homes only need one case among either residents or

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HOMES 

Trump health official blasts Nevada after state ends use of rapid coronavirus tests in nursing homes

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A top official from the Department of Health and Human Services on Friday urged Nevada to reverse its decision to suspend the use of two rapid coronavirus tests in nursing homes, saying there is no “scientific reason” to justify its action.



Brett Giroir wearing a suit and tie: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ADM Brett P. Giroir testifies before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on the Trump Administration's Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, June 23, 2020.

© Provided by CNBC
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ADM Brett P. Giroir testifies before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on the Trump Administration’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, June 23, 2020.

Nevada health officials have ordered nursing facilities in the state to immediately suspend the use of two tests, manufactured by companies Quidel and Becton, Dickinson and Co., after the officials said the tests repeatedly delivered false positives.

Nevada officials said 23 out of 39 positive antigen test results from both Quidel and BD were later found by PCR to be negative, according to a directive issued

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HOMES 

Coronavirus relief funds for nursing homes dry up, raising fears for elderly, vulnerable

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As drafts of a renewed coronavirus relief package continue to be debated in and around the White House, the many millions left languishing in nursing homes and elderly care facilities – along with their loved ones forced to communicate with them from afar – are urging swift action.

According to the American Health Care Association (AHA), almost all the initial $175 billion U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) funds from the CARES Act – which was signed into law by President Trump in late March – has been spent, and yet coronavirus – officially termed COVID-19 – cases in at least 22 states continues to ascend, ahead of the already daunting cold and flu season.

“HHS has announced distribution plans for 80 percent of the $175 billion Provider Relief Fund created by the CARES Act. Health care providers, including nursing homes, will need additional resources to continue its

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HOMES 

Why Nevada halted the use of rapid coronavirus tests in nursing homes

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coronavirus

John Minchillo / AP

In this Wednesday, March 11, 2020 photo, a technician prepares COVID-19 coronavirus patient samples for testing at a laboratory in New York’s Long Island.

By Hillary Davis (contact)

The state health department has ordered Nevada nursing homes to suspend the use of certain rapid COVID-19 tests because of the likelihood of false positives.

According to an Oct. 2 memo from the state Division of Public and Behavioral Health, the rapid antigen tests are showing that they have a high tendency to produce false positives despite earlier statements from the Food and Drug Administration that if they produced any inaccurate results, they would lead to false negatives.

The FDA added that follow-up testing should be done on negatives, not positives.

However, state public health officials issued guidance to the contrary, which led to data showing 60% of a sample of

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HOMES 

Coronavirus outbreaks ravage nursing homes again, even after Newsom safety measures

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After a steady slide in the statewide number of new coronavirus infections at skilled nursing homes, facilities in Santa Cruz and Shasta Counties are grappling with severe outbreaks, with several dozen people at both places testing positive and residents dying of COVID-19.



a man walking across Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay: The Sundial Bridge in Redding. Coronavirus outbreaks have recently hit nursing homes in that Northern California city and also in Santa Cruz County. (William Koplitz / Getty Images)

© (William Koplitz / Getty Images)
The Sundial Bridge in Redding. Coronavirus outbreaks have recently hit nursing homes in that Northern California city and also in Santa Cruz County. (William Koplitz / Getty Images)

The outbreaks raise questions on whether a May directive by state health officials, requiring regular testing of nursing home residents and staff, is being comprehensively implemented. Some watchdogs fear another spike could be in the offing at facilities that care for some of California’s most frail and vulnerable.

“Something is terribly wrong because they shouldn’t be having deaths,” Charlene Harrington, a professor emeritus at UC San Francisco who studies skilled nursing facilities, said

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HOMES 

Rise of coronavirus in nursing homes has Muskegon County probing possible reinfections

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MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI – A concerning uptick in coronavirus cases among nursing homes is under investigation by Muskegon County health officials, who are exploring whether there may be some reinfections.



a person standing in front of a building talking on a cell phone: A concerning uptick in coronavirus cases among nursing homes is under investigation by Muskegon County health officials, who are exploring whether there may be some reinfections. In this file photo, residents of Metron of Cedar Springs nursing home wave to members of City Impact, a faith-based organization from Cedar Springs, who paid them a visit in March.

© Cory Morse | [email protected]/Cory Morse | MLive.com/mlive.com/TNS
A concerning uptick in coronavirus cases among nursing homes is under investigation by Muskegon County health officials, who are exploring whether there may be some reinfections. In this file photo, residents of Metron of Cedar Springs nursing home wave to members of City Impact, a faith-based organization from Cedar Springs, who paid them a visit in March.

That’s according to Kathy Moore, director of Public Health-Muskegon County, who said she’s concerned about the continuing growth in new COVID-19 cases.

There is one known case of COVID-19 reinfection in the county, in which the two episodes of illness were about four months apart, Moore said.

Muskegon County statistics show a surge of

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HOMES 

Nursing Homes in Nevada Told to Stop Using Rapid Coronavirus Tests

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Here’s what you need to know:

Credit…Julia Rendleman for The New York Times

The coronavirus tests kits are small and fast — they produce results in as a little as 15 minutes — and when they were first distributed to nursing homes around the country in August by the federal government, they were welcomed with open arms.

At last it seemed, there was a solution to the delays and equipment shortages that had stymied efforts to use laboratory-based tests to curb outbreaks.

But now Nevada has ordered its nursing facilities to immediately suspend the use of two of the rapid virus tests after their performance was found to be lacking, according to a directive issued by the state’s department of health.

The order was prompted by a spate of false-positive results, in which the tests

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HOMES 

Nevada halts use of rapid coronavirus tests in nursing homes, citing inaccuracies.

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The coronavirus tests kits are small and fast — they produce results in as a little as 15 minutes — and when they were first distributed to nursing homes around the country in August by the federal government, they were welcomed with open arms.

At last it seemed, there was a solution to the delays and equipment shortages that had stymied efforts to use laboratory-based tests to curb outbreaks.

But now Nevada has ordered its nursing facilities to immediately suspend the use of two of the rapid virus tests after their performance was found to be lacking, according to a directive issued by the state’s department of health.

The order was prompted by a spate of false-positive results, in which the tests mistakenly found that healthy people were infected. The state directed that use of the kits be discontinued “until the accuracy of the tests can be further evaluated,” the

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