Hospital, jail bring back COVID measures
COVID-19 measures at the Sheriff’s Office, jail and AdventHealth Gordon will limit visitors.
High coronavirus numbers led to the return of elevated precautionary measures at the Gordon County Jail and AdventHealth Gordon this week.
Sheriff Mitch Ralston announced Wednesday morning that the facility would implement several of the policies previously in place at different points during the pandemic.
“Due to the rapidly spreading COVID-19 OMICRON variant, the Sheriff’s Office and jail will be reinstating precautionary measures to help ensure the well-being of the public, staff, and inmate population,” Ralston said in a release.
Beginning Wednesday, the Sheriff’s Office lobby, as well as the Gordon County Jail lobby were closed to the public. All inmate visitation were moved online and service will not be interrupted, according to the sheriff.
Thursday morning, AdventHealth Gordon announced its visitation policy would also be once again altered with the following measures:
COVID-19 and non-COVID patients alike are each allowed one visitor, while OB patients may have two visitors. Hospital visitors under the age of 18 are not permitted unless they are seeking care, and all visitors must wear and mask and stay in the patient’s room they are visiting.
For the safety of the hospital’s team members and guests, AdventHealth Gordon’s common areas will remain closed at this time, and hospital officials are asking for the public’s help in keeping emergency room traffic as light as possible.
“We encourage those experiencing COVID-19 symptoms to please seek testing at local urgent cares, primary care clinics and pharmacies to avoid additional strain on the hospital emergency department,” the hospital said in a release Thursday. “If you’re having difficulty breathing, please come to the ER. Thank you for your understanding and assistance.”
Both the jail and hospital have made adjustments to visitation policies several times since early 2020 as the staffs continues to adjust, not only to comply with state and federal guidelines, but also to fluctuation in local COVID-19 case numbers.