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Hospitals in green-phase counties approved to allow visitors
Listen to this articleHospitals in counties transitioning to the green phase of Pennsylvania‘s reopening plan may reopen their facilities to visitors at their own discretion, according to updated guidance released Wednesday by the Wolf administration.
Gov. Tom Wolf‘s most recent update to his green-phase guidelines notes that visitation to both prisons and hospitals can resume if they are in one of 18 counties transitioning to green status Friday.
Many hospitals enacted their own visitation rules as early as mid-March. The state’s new guidance gives facilities the option to open their doors to visitors, but reminds those visitors to be diligent about hygiene.
York-based WellSpan Health prohibited all visitations to its hospitals on March 21 save for a few exceptions such as minor patients and patients nearing the end-of-life.
WellSpan plans to begin lifting restrictions at its hospitals when nearby counties begin transitioning to the phase, said Matthew Heckel, senior media relations and communications specialist at WellSpan.
“Our number one priority during this COVID-19 pandemic has been to keep everyone in our hospitals safe,” Heckel said. “As counties continue the reopening process, the visitation policy for our hospitals and outpatient settings will likely become less restrictive; however, healthy and approved visitors would continue to be required to follow guidelines in place including the wearing of a face covering when in a WellSpan Health facility.”
UPMC Pinnacle began allowing one dedicated, on-site patient support person for each of its hospital inpatients and emergency department patients this month, with hours varying depending on the facility.
Visitors must be over the age of 18 and may be asked about recent travel and potential exposure, according to the hospital system’s guidelines.
“We continue to follow public health guidelines, and our policies will ensure the safety of our patients and staff to lower their likelihood of exposure to any illness including COVID-19,” said Kelly McCall, public relations director at UPMC Pinnacle.
