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Texas extends ban on non-essential visitors at nursing homes through September

The rules were set to expire on July 31 but have been extended until Sept. 29.

AUSTIN, Texas — Rules that have kept family members from visiting loved ones in nursing homes and assisted living facilities will stay in place for another couple of months.

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has extended rules prohibiting non-essential visitors until Sept. 29. The rules were originally set to expire on July 31.

However, a growing group of families fighting to see their loved ones is worried that ongoing isolation is killing nursing home residents.

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"Get off the political correctness thing; get off whether people will vote you in or out. Forget that and think, 'How would I feel if I were laying there or sitting there? How would I feel if that were my spouse or my mother, whomever?'" Glenna Butler said. "Really put yourself in the place of that person that's shut away, and I guarantee you, if you were able to really – you know, it's easy to say, 'Put yourself in somebody else's place.' If you could for a moment just magically be them, we wouldn't be in this situation."

As of July 31, there are 5,480 residents of nursing homes and assisted living centers in Texas who have COVID-19. At least 1,522 residents have died.

WATCH: State reveals case counts in Texas nursing homes

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