Friday, March 13, 2020, ALBIA/IOWA – Monroe County Hospital & Clinics (MCHC) has implemented a temporary visitor restriction in effect as of March 13, 2020. The health and well-being of our patients, their families, and of the communities we serve is our top priority. In accordance with this, we are following the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease) recommendations and are acting with an abundance of caution to ensure we do not elevate the risk of exposure to the virus for our colleagues, physicians, patients or community members.
In order to accommodate this guidance, effective immediately, we are instituting the following temporary visitor restrictions:
For the immediate future, ONLY visits from immediate family members, loved ones or clergy who meet the following criteria will be permitted.
Essential and non-essential visits:
- If a visitor has respiratory symptoms (fever, cough, runny nose) and their visit is essential, they should be masked immediately when entering MCHC
- If a visitor has respiratory symptoms (fever, cough, runny nose) and their visit is non-essential they should be asked to leave and return once their symptoms have resolved
Visitor Restrictions:
- Two visitors per patient at a time
- No visitors under 16 years of age
- Do not visit if you are sick
Prevention and Self-care:
- Avoid contact with people who are coughing, sneezing or have symptoms
- Visitors are encouraged to wash their hands with soap and water frequently
- Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer when washing your hands is not an option
- Use a tissue to cover any coughs and sneezes; and discard the tissue in a sealed trash can / container
- Assess your own health, and if at risk for illness or have any symptoms, stay home
Visitor restrictions are temporary and subject to change as necessary.
All caregivers are required to wash hands with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand foam/gel upon entering and exiting patient’s room. We understand these visitor restrictions may be difficult for you. While we are committed to providing a family-centered care environment, right now restricting visitors is in the best interest of our patients and employees.
For general questions about COVID-19, please contact the Iowa Department of Public Health hotline at 2-1-1, available 24/7.
Quick Links:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc.gov)
- Local/state health department – https://idph.iowa.gov/emerging-health-issues/novel-coronavirus
- Local emergency management association – https://wapellocounty.org/departments/emergencymanagement/
- State hospital association – https://www.ihaonline.org/#/calendarlist/categoryid/5DD0D7B4-3BBD-E411-80D1-005056843B54
We appreciate your support as we work together to ensure the safety of our patients, and community at large.