CentraCare and Carris Health hospitals restore visitor limits amid COVID outbreak

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the work of patients of the hospital from Pixabay — Pixabay

Another hospital system in Minnesota is reimplementing tighter visitor limits due to the continued increase in COVID-19 cases.

CentraCare announced the reinstated restrictions, which apply to CentraCare and Carris Health hospitals. As of Tuesday, only one healthy adult visitor will be allowed per patient at these hospitals. That visitors must be the same person.

For underage patients, the hospital system will allow two healthy adult visitors.

In the past 18 months, CentraCare – which operates eight hospitals in central Minnesota, as well as two others (Redwood Falls and Willmar) under the Carris Health name – has jumped between different visitor policies based on the COVID situation. . In November 2020, visitors were completely banned except in certain situations. These eased throughout 2021, until Tuesday’s announcement, to the point where two healthy adult visitors were allowed.

CentraCare cited “the current increase in positive cases of COVID-19 in our communities” as the reason for the step in the opposite direction.

“We understand that these changes will have a significant impact on patients and their families,” CentraCare said. “We appreciate the support from the community as we implement these changes to keep patients and staff safe. “

In clinics, the policy is one healthy adult visitor per adult, if the patient has cognitive, physical or developmental disabilities. Minors can have two healthy adult visitors.

CentraCare requires that all visitors wear a mask.

Long-term care facilities have their own policies as different regulations apply, the healthcare system added.

The move comes just a day after Essentia Health in Duluth adopted similar restrictions for visitors.

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The state on Tuesday reported 16 new deaths from COVID this month, as well as 6,352 new positive cases. Staffed intensive care bed capacity remains below 15% in central, southwest, and south-central Minnesota.

The current increase in the number of cases is now disproportionately affecting counties in Greater Minnesota, where vaccination rates are mostly lower than in the Twin Cities.

COVID data on Tuesday revealed that 58.3% of the latest new cases were reported outside of the 7-county subway, despite making up about 45% of the state’s population.

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