Houston Methodist Changes Visitors Policy Due To Rise In COVID Cases

HOUSTON – The Houston Methodist Hospital has temporarily changed its visitor policy due to the growing number of COVID-19 cases.

Hospital officials have said that due to the increase they have changed their visitor policy, which goes into effect on Monday. The hospital will now limit visits for all patients, not isolated for COVID, to a single healthy visitor in medico-surgical units, intervention areas and for doctor’s appointments.

Officials said inpatients will be entitled to an overnight visitor, which means only one person per patient, whether it’s an appointment or an overnight stay.

As of Friday, 256 COVID-19 patients currently occupied hospital beds in Houston Methodist, which more than doubled from two weeks ago, according to Houston Methodist.

READ: Houston Methodist sees ‘alarming spike’ in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations; identifies its first Lambda variant case

A d

Officials said the positivity rate is now doubling every 17 days or so, which is faster than any other time in the pandemic.