Hospitals move to most restrictive phase of visiting rules

With continued increase in COVID19 cases and the high transmission rates for the Omicron variant, Quinte Health Care (QHC) hospitals are moving to the most restrictive phase 3 (red) of its visiting policy effective Monday, Dec. 20, 2021.

Significant changes as QHC moves to red, from yellow (changed from green at November end), include:
– Low acuity, short stay patients will no longer be able to have a care partner
– Long stay patients can have one consistent care partner
– Stable ICU patients will no longer be able to have a care partner

A limited number of care partners will continue to be permitted for end-of-life or critically unstable patients, maternity patients and for paediatric patients as outlined on the visiting page of the QHC website.

A care partner is identified by the patient and provided identification by QHC. Care partners must pass COVID screening every time they enter the hospital and must provide proof of vaccination. Very few exceptions will be made to the proof of vaccination requirement. In the rare case an exception is made, COVID testing is mandatory.

Care partners that develop symptoms while at the hospital, must report the symptoms to staff and leave immediately to seek PCR testing at a COVID-19 Community Assessment Centre. All care partners must wear the appropriate PPE and leave it on at all times, and cannot eat or drink in the hospital. Care partners can only be in the hospital 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., with the exception of care partners of maternity patients and paediatric patients.