CLEVELAND — Local hospitals in Northeast Ohio have implemented changes and restrictions to their visitor policies as another safety measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus or COVID-19.

Univeristy Hospitals

In order to protect patients, caregivers and the community from the spread of COVID-19, the following changes were put into effect Saturday, March 21:

Patient Visitors:

• Inpatients with confirmed COVID-19 – No visitors will be allowed, no exceptions

• General medical floors – No visitors will be allowed in the hospital.

• UH Seidman cancer patients – No visitors will be allowed in the hospital.

• Rainbow and Maternity inpatients – limited to the same two adult visitors for the duration of their hospital stay. Only one visitor will be allowed to spend the night with the patient. These visitors will be screened for symptoms of respiratory illness and temperature greater than 99.6 F degrees upon entrance to the unit and will not be allowed to enter the facility if screen positive.

• Surgical patients – one visitor will be allowed on the day of surgery only and screened. Surgical patient visitors will not be allowed to enter the facility if screen positive.

• Ambulatory Health Centers, Physician Offices and Urgent Care – only one visitor will be allowed for the appointment and screened. Patient visitors will not be allowed to enter the facility if screen positive.

Visitor Screening:

• Temperature screen must be less than 99.6 degrees F
• Must be flu symptom-free: no cough, no runny nose, no diarrhea, no shortness of breath. Any visitor that screens positive will not be allowed to enter the facility.

Exceptions will be on a case-by-case basis for birth, pediatric and end of life care only and will require approval from a Chief Medical Officer or Chief Nursing Officer.

The Cleveland Clinic

The clinic is restricting all visitors, with the exceptions to the following patients:

• Pediatric patients can have one visitor
• Labor and delivery patients can have one visitor
• End of life circumstances (patients care team will discuss with their family)

All other visitors will be asked to leave the hospital.

Summa Health System

Summa Health has also moved to a no-visitor policy with the exceptions to the following categories:

• Patient who is in serious or critical condition or under hospice care
• End-of-life (approval for requests for more than one person will be made by nurse manager)
• Patient in the Emergency Department
• Mothers in labor (significant other is permitted)
• Children who are 18 years of age or under (parents permitted)
• People undergoing surgery
• Akron Children’s NICU (limited to mom and one additional visitor per day)
• Adult patients with cognitive or mental disability requiring help with the provision of medical care or activities of daily living, speaking for the patient, keeping patient safe
• People who must exercise of power of attorney or court-appointed guardianship for a patient
• People performing official governmental functions
• Person requiring an outpatient test or procedure where a companion is required for support

Every visitor is required to report to the main entrance of the hospital. Additional exceptions must be approved by the hospitals administrator on call. Visitors can contact the hospital’s call center at 330-319-9453 with any questions.

Additionally, friends and family members of patients who meet the above exception but have a cough, fever or respiratory symptoms. Every visitor will his/her temperature taken.

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