Hospital, care home visitation rules relaxed
Measures expected to vary at different facilities due to space and layout
Newfoundland and Labrador is easing up on one of the cornerstones of its COVID19 emergency health measures — the banning of visitors in long-term and personal care homes in the province.
Eastern Health released a statement Wednesday saying one designated visitor per resident will be allowed to visit under strict conditions.
That person can be a family member, friend or other person of the resident’s choosing.
“While visiting the patient/resident, all designated visitors/support persons will be required to wear the mask provided for the duration of their visit,” the health authority said. “The designated visitor/support person should not change and must not visit any other resident or staff and must go directly to the patient/resident room or visitation space.”
Experts have said there can be a significant physical and mental toll on seniors who are unable to visit with loved ones, but the province’s chief medical officer of health said Wednesday she had to balance the equally significant threat COVID-19 poses to vulnerable populations.
“What we know is our longterm care/personal care home populations are particularly susceptible to severe disease and we don’t need to look very far to see the consequences of COVID getting into one of these facilities. We certainly don’t want that to happen,” Dr. Janice Fitzgerald said during her regular video briefing.
Thousands of care home residents in Ontario and Quebec have died from COVID19 complications since March.
But Fitzgerald acknowledged the mental toll has been worrisome.
“We want to be able to give back some of that connection,” she said.
“I think starting with one person coming in, a designated visitor, is a good place to start.”
Other regional health authorities in the province have already announced, or are expected to announce, similar measures, Fitzgerald said, but each facility will have to handle visitors differently because of the different size and layout of the buildings.
She did not rule out further loosening visitor restrictions in the near future.
HOSPITAL CHANGES
The Eastern Health announcement went on to announce similar changes in visitation at hospitals. In particular, new mothers will now be allowed to have a spouse or support person visit at any time while they are in hospital.
“Obstetrics patients may have one support person who can stay for the duration of the mother and newborn’s stay and can visit as many times as they like throughout the day,” it said.
The restriction on obstetrics visits has come under fire from the local doula association and from researchers in the field of perinatal mental health.
OTHER CHANGES INCLUDE:
• In-patients in intensive care units may have two support persons with them at the same time.
• One identified designated visitor or support person may be present for out-patient and emergency department visits for patients who may receive information that will have a significant impact on the future health of the patient.
• For pediatric out-patient appointments, one parent will be able to attend with their child due to social distancing needs.
The authority advises all visitors to consult with the specific care team or facility beforehand, as some circumstances may vary.
ACTIVE CASES
Meanwhile, Fitzgerald explained Wednesday why there are still two known active cases of COVID-19 in the province even though only one new case has been detected since early May. The cumulative number of cases remains at 261, including three deaths.
While symptoms may end in a normal amount of time, she said, some patients still test positive for weeks afterward.
“There are some cases where it actually takes a long time for people to stop shedding the virus and so they continue to have positive (results) when we test them. They’re not technically considered recovered, so we continue to call them an active case.”
She said there have been patients elsewhere in Canada who have gone eight or nine weeks before they finally test negative.
IN OTHER DEVELOPMENTS WEDNESDAY:
• Premier Dwight Ball said despite limited opening of Service NL offices, such as motor vehicle registration, he expects more business will continue to be done online in future.
• Health Minister Dr. John Haggie and representatives of Fonemed will announce enhancements to the province’s 811 health line Thursday morning.