Peterborough Regional Health Centre has eased many visitor restrictions as the province of Ontario continues its Stage 3 provincial reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic.
On Monday, the hospital said its temporary visiting restrictions, which have been in place since the pandemic was declared in March, are being eased.
All visitors to the hospital will be required to wear a mask.
As part of the Stage 3 provincial opening, the hospital is easing the following presence/visitor restrictions, effective Monday:
- General medical, surgical and mental health inpatient units: Limited family presence/visiting hours on alternating days, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. (includes alternate level of care/long-term patients, patients receiving rehabilitation and complex continuing care and behavioural patients with cognitive/neurological impairment).
- A and C inpatient units on even-numbered days and B and D inpatient units on odd-numbered days will permit a maximum of one designated essential caregiver/family member per patient per day. No switch-outs permitted during the day.
Get weekly health news
The following areas of the hospital will continue to have unit-specific criteria for essential caregivers/family presence:
- Labour and delivery, neonatal intensive care unit, pediatric and child and adolescent psychiatric unit (CAPU) patients (under the age of 18): Permitted two designated essential caregivers/family members simultaneously per day. No switch-outs permitted during the day.
- Palliative care and end-of life patients: Permitted two essential caregivers/family members maximum simultaneously per day. Additional caregivers/family members may be permitted for end-of-life patients at the discretion of the care team.
- ICU/critical care patients: Permitted one essential caregiver/family member maximum per day. One switch-out permitted during the same day. Additional caregivers/family members may be permitted at the care team’s discretion.
The hospital’s emergency department (ED) and crisis response unit (CRU) patients will be permitted one essential caregiver/family member maximum in the following cases:
- Patients experiencing threatened early pregnancy loss.
- Patients requiring resuscitation.
- Patients with serious illness who require caregiver presence for assessment/diagnosis/support.
- Patients with dementia, delirium, altered mental status of any cause, frailty, disability or limited capacity.
- All other ED/CRU patients will be permitted one essential caregiver/family member maximum at the discretion of the care team.
Patients who are suspected or positive for COVID-19 will be permitted one designated essential caregiver/family member per patient, at the discretion of the care team, including end-of-life patients. The caregiver/family member must not be a household or close contact/caregiver of the patient who is suspected/positive for COVID-19.
The hospital’s new policy will remain in effect until further notice.
Comments