Seven patients at Timmins and District Hospital have come down with COVID-19, triggering an outbreak designation, and isolation for the unit they’re in.
As a result, hospital administration says visits are suspended until further notice. Tighter restrictions for designated care partners are being implemented on Monday. Care partners won’t be allowed, with exemptions and conditions in certain circumstances. Here they are:
-No Designated Care Partner visitation will be allowed until further notice, with exemptions for specific circumstances. Inpatient Designated Care Partners who meet the exemption criteria will be required to provide:
- Proof of full COVID-19 vaccination (two vaccine doses of an approved twodose vaccine administered >14 days); and/or
- Provide proof of negative Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) from the day of visit. Rapid Antigen Testing for Inpatient Designated Care Partner visitation will be available through the COVID-19 Assessment Clinic. Hours of operation can be found online here: https://tadh.com/covid-19-assessment
-Outpatient Designated Care Partners who meet the exemption criteria will be asked to provide proof of vaccination when they are screened at the entrance. Outpatient Designated Care Partners may be required to wear a higher level of PPE for the duration of the appointment. Current exemptions for Designated Care Partner Restrictions include:
- Emergency Department, Diagnostic Imaging and Outpatient Clinics. One Designated Care Partner will only be permitted under the following circumstances: ·
- Patients with communication, physical or cognitive impairments ·
- Patients experiencing a mental health crisis. ·
- Patients requiring a care partner to be involved with significant care decisions, disclosure of potentially traumatic test results/prognosis ·
- Patients attending Telemedicine appointments ·
- Prenatal ultrasound appointments
- Patients under the age of 18 ·
- Patients over the age of 75
- Patients Giving Birth: Two Designated Care Partner Only, one Designated Care Partner will be permitted to visit at a time.
- Pediatrics Two Designated Care Partners Only one Designated Care Partner will be permitted to visit at a time.
- Palliative Patients/Patients who are at end of life: Two Designated Care Partners. At no time are more than two visitors allowed at the bedside at the same time and this may be restricted to one where physical distancing cannot be maintained. Additional visitors may be considered, weighing the health and safety of all. Visits must be approved and scheduled in advance by contacting the patients unit directly
-Source: Timmins & District Hospital, January 7, 2022
