COLUMBUS, Ohio — OhioHealth announced it will allow two visitors per patient at all hospitals beginning Thursday, Feb. 24.
Each patient will select two designated visitors for the duration of their stay who may visit daily and come and go as needed.
The increase to two visitors comes after OhioHealth, which includes Riverside Methodist Hospital and Grant Medical Center, reduced the amount to one back in August.
According to OhioHealth, emergency departments, surgery and invasive procedure areas will continue to allow one visitor per day. Outpatient centers including laboratories, imaging and rehabilitation centers and OhioHealth Physician Group practices will continue to allow visitors by exception only.
All visitors will be required to be asymptomatic of COVID-19 symptoms and wear a mask while in any facility, except while eating.
The following exceptions will be made for patients in unique medical situations:
- Patients that have tested positive for COVID-19 – One visitor per day from 2-6 pm for the duration of their stay or while in isolation.
- Patients receiving behavioral health care – scheduled visitation.
- Patients receiving end-of-life care – Acute end-of-life patients may have up to three visitors at any given time, and no maximum number of visitors per day.
- Maternity patients – Two visitors during the duration of their stay as well as a doula, if they so choose, during the labor and delivery portion of their stay. If laboring patients are minors, they may have parents/guardians in addition to the parent-to-be of the baby. Hospitals with NICUs will follow Nationwide Children’s Hospital visitor management policy.
OhioHealth said hours and entrances may continued to be limited while visitor restrictions are in place. For more information from OhioHealth, click here.
The update from OhioHealth comes on the same day that The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center announced it would allow hospital inpatients two visitors for the duration of their stay.