Advocates for nursing home residents say they worry a new Indiana law expanding COVID-19 liability protections for health care providers will effectively block many lawsuits over neglect and substandard treatment that weren't caused by the pandemic.

Indiana Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box said directives from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services order nursing homes to allow visits at all times.

The measure approved by the Indiana Senate would require health facilities to allow at least one caretaker to visit a resident during compassionate care situations.

Indiana would require all nursing homes to allow at least some limited visitation for their residents -- even during a pandemic -- under legislation unanimously approved by a Senate committee Wednesday.

Indiana health officials say they hope to make a COVID-19 vaccine available to every health care worker and nursing home resident in the state by the end of December.

COVID-19 is surging in nursing homes and similar facilities across the U.S. Recently, the nation's nursing homes saw a record 12,000 new weekly cases. We examine the issue through a woman who is dealing with her mother's COVID case.

Gov. Eric Holcomb announced Wednesday the state will devote significant resources to nursing homes across Indiana in the next few weeks.

Across the Midwest and the nation, many COVID-19 cases have been concentrated in nursing homes. It's often the result of an outbreak. But sometimes, it's actually by design.

Matthew Gutwein said he will resign, effective Sept. 30, as the president and CEO of the Health & Hospital Corp. of Marion County, which owns 78 Indiana nursing homes.

Of 754 facilities required to submit data, almost half or 344 have experienced at least one positive resident case. At least one resident death has been reported by 235 facilities.