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GREENVILLE, North Carolina (WITN) – Vidant Health is tightening restrictions for visitors due to the increased spread of COVID-19.
The hospital system says positivity rates for those tested have increased steadily since Thanksgiving and are now around 22%.
Already, Vidant Roanoke-Chowan is banning visitors to both the emergency department and inpatient units, while the Outer Banks Hospital will begin doing so on Monday.
Other Vidant hospitals will be subject to the following restrictions as of 5:00 a.m. Monday:
| department | Hours | Visitor details |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital departments, Including patients hospitalized for surgery |
5 p.m. to 9 p.m. | One (1) healthy adult visitor screened and masked at all times may visit between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. only. The visitor should stay in the patient’s room unless visiting the cafe. The visitor cannot leave and re-enter, nor change with another visitor during the visiting hours of the day. |
| Children’s hospital | Business hours | Maynard Children’s Hospital and pediatric patients from all Vidant hospitals have two (2) caregivers at the bedside. Two (2) designated guardians are identified by the child’s legal guardian upon admission and can stay at the child’s bedside for the duration of the child’s stay. Visits with siblings are not permitted at this time; the health care team will work with families to facilitate sibling virtual visits, where appropriate. For pediatric or end-of-life palliative care, additional visits will be considered with management approval depending on the needs of the child. |
| Labor and childbirth / maternity | Business hours | One (1) designated partner in good health screened and masked at all times. The partner should stay at the patient’s bedside unless they are going to the cafe. |
| Ambulatory surgical procedures requiring sedation or anesthesia | Day of proceedings | One (1) healthy adult visitor screened and masked at all times may wait with the patient until that patient proceeds with their surgery or procedure. The visitor can return at the time of the leave. |
| Exceptions | Hours | Visitor details |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency services | No visitors allowed | No visitors allowed. Patients who are minors, or who meet ADA guidelines, or who require a visitor for clinical care or for safety, may have one (1) healthy adult visitor screened and masked at all times. The visitor cannot interact with another visitor during the visiting hours of the day. |
| Medical practices and Ambulatory clinics |
No visitors allowed | No visitors allowed. Patients who are minors, or who meet ADA guidelines, or who require a visitor for clinical care or for safety, may have one (1) healthy adult visitor screened and masked at all times. The visitor cannot interact with another visitor during the visiting hours of the day. |
| End of life | Business hours | Family members who are screened and masked can visit with the advice of the care team and should call the unit for advice. |
| Behavioral health | No visitors allowed | No visitors allowed. Ask the behavioral unit nurse for accommodations regarding virtual visits. |
| COVID-19 positive patients | No visitors allowed | No visitors allowed. Ask the nurse for accommodations regarding virtual tours. |
Vidant says all visitors will have to go through a screening process and meet requirements such as wearing a mask, washing hands at the entrance and maintaining social distancing.
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