Burlington’s top hospital has loosened its visiting rules for caregivers and support persons amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that has Halton Region in the red-control level of the province’s COVID-19 response framework.
Effective Tuesday, Joseph Brant hospital is allowing approved support persons to visit on consecutive days as opposed to the even and odd room number stipulations previously put into effect when the pandemic hit in March.
Patients will also be allowed to change designated caregivers after 14 days if required.
Last week, officials at Joseph Brant said in an online video that it recognizes how essential caregivers and support persons have been in recent months as it continues to perform surgical and outpatient clinical care during the pandemic.
Despite the changes, visitor limitations around inpatients, ambulatory care, emergency care and pregnancies still remain in effect.
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Those rules include:
- Up to two pre-approved support persons during visiting hours (9 a.m. to 8 p.m.) with only one permitted on-site at any given time.
- Only patients can attend outpatient appointments due to the need to maintain physical distancing. Those needing assistance may be allowed one support person upon approval by clinic staff.
- Visitors are not permitted for emergency visits except under exceptional circumstances, upon staff approval.
- Women in labour may be accompanied by a partner during birth and postpartum with some overnight in and out privileges upon approval. Visitors are not permitted.
In June, a number of hospitals in southern Ontario began a gradual easing of no-visitor policies implemented upon the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
As of August, both St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (SJHH) and Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) outlined changes permitting a limited number of visitors for inpatients similar to those in effect at Joseph Brant.
Halton Region reports 42 new COVID-19 cases, three more deaths
Halton Region reported 42 new COVID-19 cases on Monday and three more deaths to bring the region’s total number of deceased to 54 since the pandemic began.
The region has 594 active cases as of Nov. 13, with Oakville accounting for 202 and Burlington accounting for 128 cases.
Halton has 22 outbreaks, which involve 168 people at six long-term care homes (Allendale in Milton, Burloak and Creek Way Village in Burlington, and Chartwell Waterford, Post Inn Village and Wyndham Manor in Oakville), two retirement homes (Amica Georgetown and the Williamsburg in Burlington) and two hospitals (Georgetown hospital complex transitional care and an acute medicine unit of Joeseph Brant Hospital in Burlington).
Outbreaks at Village of Tansley Woods in Burlington and Trafalgar Lodge in Oakville were declared over on Monday.
Halton has 3,305 total COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began.
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