With new COVID-19 cases in central Illinois continuing to drop, restrictions in area hospitals are beginning to relax.
the five hospitals in Memorial Health and HSHS St. John’s Hospital in Springfield announced today they are easing their visitor guidelines. HSHS St. John’s is part of the nine hospitals within HSHS Illinois. The other eight hospitals recently eased visitor restrictions.
New COVID-19 cases within a 16-county region of central Illinois have dropped to 10 cases each day per 100,000 residents, meeting the bar to reclassify the transmission rate to “medium” from “high.” It’s the first time since July 21 that the transmission rate has been at medium.
De De Fricke, the supervisor of patient experience at Jacksonville Memorial Hospital, says she thinks visitors to Jacksonville Memorial Hospital will be happy with the changes.
“I think the biggest difference is, instead of asking everyone the Covid questions we’re going to ask them to self-screen themselves when they are coming in. We have a little signage that reminds them what we are looking for. Also, now we are allowed to have two visitors instead of just one, so I think that will make a lot of families happy.”
Fricke says though that one area of Jacksonville Memorial will continue to have heightened restrictions. “Now here in Jacksonville if we have anyone in the T.C.U., which is our transitional care unit, the screening and visitor requirements are going to stay the same. That is just a little bit different for that unit and is unique to us. Patents and our staff, we’ve got to take care of them and keep them safe.”
Medical-grade masks are still required for all patients and visitors entering Memorial Health hospitals and clinical settings or HSHS St. John’s Hospital. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requires hospitals to issue masks.
Eased guidelines at Memorial Health and HSHS St. John’s Hospital include that no visitors will be allowed for patients being treated for COVID-19 or patients under evaluation for COVID-19 until a COVID-19 infection is ruled out.
At HSHS St. John’s, no visitors under the age of 18 will be permitted unless they are the parent of a child receiving care. At Memorial Health, the age threshold is no one younger than 16 unless they have a child admitted for care.
Visitors can consult each hospital’s website for a complete list of guidelines at St-Johns.org/VisitingHours and Memorial.Health.