Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) announced that some hospital visitor restrictions will be eased beginning, Tuesday, June 23, to allow more opportunities for inpatients to see friends and loved ones.
“With the steady decline and consistently low number of known COVID-19 cases in Nova Scotia, NSHA believes it’s time to slowly reintroduce some inpatient hospital visits,” NSHA said in a statement.
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Beginning on Tuesday, hospital inpatients will be permitted to allow one designated essential support person as a visitor. This support person can be a family member or friend. The designated person may also rotate on a weekly basis.
“It is hard for patients to be separated from their loved ones during a hospital stay. This change is meant to support the care and mental well-being of our inpatients while at the same time keeping public health measures in place to protect patients and staff,” said Madonna MacDonald, NSHA vice-president health services.
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In the meantime, measures have been put in place to help ensure patient and visitor safety.
According to NSHA, these measures include that all visitors must be feeling well at the date and time of the visit, maintain a physical distance of two metres (six feet) from patients and staff at all times, and to wash their hands when entering and leaving the hospital and when entering and leaving the patient’s room.
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Moreover, visitors must go directly to and from the patient’s room, or visit location, and remain there for the duration of the visit.
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“Anyone with symptoms consistent with COVID-19, in self-isolation, or being tested for COVID-19 due to recent travel or potential exposure to the virus will not be permitted to enter,” said NSHA.
Visitors are also being encouraged to wear a non-medical mask and cannot sit on the patient’s bed, use patient washrooms, share devices, books, food or bring gifts or cards.
NSHA said patient visits will be scheduled through patient care teams to minimize the total number of visitors on an inpatient unit at one time. This is essential to ensure physical distancing can be maintained.
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