Greenwich Hospital bans nearly all visitors due to COVID-19 rise
GREENWICH — Due to the continuing increase in COVID-19 cases in the town and in the state, Greenwich Hospital is further restricting its visitation policy.
On Monday evening, the hospital announced that it has “unfortunately made the decision to restrict all visitors, with some exceptions, at the hospital and its outpatient facilities.” That policy goes into effect on Tuesday, until further notice.
This is a further restriction on rules that were put in place only last week that limited visitors to one per day during a four-hour shift. Over the summer and into the fall, Greenwich Hospital had been allowing visitors to see patients one at a time.
Greenwich Hospital said there could be “rare exceptions” to the policy — at the discretion of a patient’s critical team. The hospital said it will “do our best to accommodate exceptions where possible” but stressed its “first priority” remained protecting the health of patients, visitors and staff during the
pandemic.
Those exceptions could include visitors for maternity patients, children patients and patients for whom the end of life is imminent. There can also be exceptions made for patients in the newborn intensive care unit and for patients with disabilities, which includes altered mental status, physical, intellectual or cognitive disabilities, communication barriers or behavioral concerns.
Allowed visitors will be screened for illness by the staff at the front desk. Anyone who is sick will not be allowed into the hospital without exception.
“We know in-person visits provide support and reassurance, and we understand that visitation restrictions can be very unsettling to patients and family members alike,” the hospital said in a statement. “Our teams are committed to maintaining a compassionate connection virtually between patients and their loved ones to reduce this burden.”
The reasons cited for the change were the number of hospitalized coronavirus patients in Greenwich Hospital and the “increasing concern regarding community spread.” On Monday, Greenwich Hospital reported 24 patients with coronavirus had been admitted. That is up from 17 COVID patients on Friday.
The hospital encouraged people to connect with loved ones in the hospital through Skype, FaceTime or other digital services and through phone calls.
“Greenwich Hospital continues its efforts to keep patients, visitors and healthcare professionals safe,” the hospital said. “The hospital remains ready to care for all patients while maintaining all safety precautions.”
Since the beginning of the pandemic in the spring, the Yale New Haven Health System, which includes Greenwich Hospital, has maintained a call center for patients, staff and community members who have questions about the coronavirus. Healthcare professionals from the health system are available to answer questions from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily by calling 833-275-9644.