Nursing homes consider new restrictions as delta variant of coronavirus rages Evan Axelbank reports CLEARWATER, Fla. - To Jodi Merritt's mom, Betty Lou, visits with grandchildren are akin to the very air she breathes. "She is like why are you leaving, and I say, 'Mom I have to go, I am only allowed to stay an hour.'" With the delta variant raging and cases on the rise, Bay Area nursing homes are taking a hard look at their procedures. To visit the 83-year-old stroke victim inside her Tampa nursing home, Merritt has to get tested twice a week. There are more loose requirements for outside, and she hopes that even with state positivity up fivefold in five weeks, it stays that way.