Southcoast Health limits visitors to hospitals

Mar 12, 2020

In light of the threat of a coronavirus outbreak locally, Southcoast Health is limiting visitors to its hospitals, including Tobey Hospital. 

According to guidance released on March 12, no visitors experiencing cough, shortness of breath, fever, or other flu-like symptoms will be allowed, nor will visitors who have returned from overseas travel within the past 14 days. 

Each patient may see only two visitors at a time.

No visitors under the age of 12 are allowed.

The hospital will also be restricting non-essential business travel for employees. Gatherings of ten or more people at Southcoast sites are being cancelled, including meetings, classes, and seminars. 

Whenever possible, Southcoast will segregate waiting areas for patients with respiratory symptoms from patients without those symptoms.

While Southcoast has seen an uptick in the number of calls from people with questions, it has not seen an increase in the number of patients visiting the emergency room at this point.