Idaho’s Saint Alphonsus places visitor restrictions on its hospitals until further notice
Saint Alphonsus announced a new set of visitor restrictions Thursday night as additional prevention measures in response to the nationwide spread of the new coronavirus.
“It is quite possible there are people who don’t show symptoms, and if they are in an area with vulnerable populations, the risk of infection increases,” Saint Al’s spokesman Mark Snider told the Idaho Statesman. “There’s a lot of vulnerable people in a hospital. It is an abundance of caution.”
Effective immediately, the following restrictions will be placed on anyone who wants to visit a patient at any Saint Alphonsus health system facility in Idaho and Oregon:
- Visitors with respiratory symptoms (cough, wheeze, shortness of breath, congestion) or fever above 100.4° F will be provided a mask and asked to return home or seek medical attention.
- Patients with respiratory symptoms or fever, presenting for diagnosis, treatment or other medical care, will be offered a mask before entering a Saint Alphonsus facility and before being permitted to proceed directly to their clinic or care location.
- One visitor per patient at a time.
- No visitors younger than 14.
- Do not visit if you are sick.
According to a press release, only immediate family members, patient advocates and clergy who meet the above criteria will be permitted to visit with patients.
Snider explained that these restrictions are in place until further notice.
The Saint Alphonsus Health System created these restrictions based on the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare and the Oregon Health Authority.
Idaho announced its first case of COVID-19 late Friday afternoon. It was one of the final two states without a confirmed case. West Virginia is now the only one.
Idaho Department of Health and Welfare announces guidance for events
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, along with seven local public health districts, announced guidance for event and venue managers to assist with decisions regarding mass gatherings and public events.
According to press releases from Southwest District Health and Central District Health, there is support for any decision made by a venue or event manager on mass gatherings and public events.
Idaho public health experts recommend postponing or canceling in any of the following situations:
- The event will draw audiences or participants from communities, states or countries with confirmed community spread of COVID-19 disease. Your local public health district can assist you in making this determination.
- The event will be held indoors and bring together more than 250 individuals where social distancing of 6 feet or more is unlikely or not possible.
- The event’s primary audience includes or may expose high-risk populations, including adults older than 60 and people with underlying chronic medical conditions such as heart or lung disease or diabetes, regardless of the number of attendees.
Idaho health experts recommend virtual gatherings through webinars, video conferencing and live streams to minimize risk by limiting visitors. Southwest and Central District Health are not recommending school closures at this time.
This story was originally published March 13, 2020 at 8:46 AM with the headline "Idaho’s Saint Alphonsus places visitor restrictions on its hospitals until further notice."
