Friends and family of patients admitted to hospital will soon be able to have more time with their loved ones. Beginning Monday, July 13, visiting hours for inpatients at Niagara Health are increasing. Visitors must still meet certain criteria and inpatients are only permitted to have one visitor per time block.
The visiting blocks will be:
- 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and
- 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
To help maintain a safe environment, visitors may not rotate throughout the allotted visiting times. Managing the number of people entering the hospital allows everyone to maintain proper physical distancing. Niagara Health recommends those wishing to visit an inpatient agree to a visitation schedule in advance to ensure everyone is able to have time with their loved one and ensure that patients only have one visitor throughout each time block.
All visitors must:
- Be 18 years of age or older.
- Pass screening in order to gain entry. There will be signage to indicate where visitors are screened. There is a screening form available on the Niagara Health website that visitors can fill out before coming to the hospital to expedite this process.
- Bring their own mask and wear it at all times while in the hospital. It is mandatory that all visitors wear a mask while at the hospital.
- Follow infection prevention and control measures, including meticulous hand hygiene and physical distancing throughout their stay.
- Limit their movement while in the hospital, staying in the patient’s room for the duration of the visit.
Patients coming for appointments – including clinic visits and other outpatient services – as well as those coming to our Emergency Departments and Urgent Care Centres – are still asked to come alone. As well, patients admitted to our Emergency Departments are not permitted to have visitors at this time. Patients with extenuating circumstances are encouraged to contact their care provider at Niagara Health directly to discuss their needs. Anyone accompanying a patient to an appointment must be preapproved and meet all visitor criteria.
Limited exceptions for additional visitors, or extended visiting time, continue to be made on a case-by-case basis. Those with extenuating circumstances are encouraged to discuss them with the manager of the unit the patient is staying on.
