Families delight as hospital visitor restrictions ease

Find out the new rules for hospital visitations which came into force this weekend

HOSPITAL VISITORS: Changes have been made to visitor numbers at hospitals in our region.

VISITOR restrictions at hospitals and other health facilities in the Northern NSW Health District have now eased with up to four people allowed per day.

All visitors will be asked to wear a mask.

The new rules came into force on Saturday, October 31.

Hospitals in our health district now allow a maximum of two visitors per one hour visiting session.

With two one hour visiting sessions allowed per day, it means four individuals could visit across the two visitor sessions.

At Multi-Purpose facilities like Kyogle, Bonalbo, Nimbin, and Urbenville, patients and residents may have up to four designated visitors a day, with no more than two at a time for a maximum of one hour. Visitors will also need proof of a 2020 flu vaccination.

For Maternity, Women's Care Units and Birthing Suites the health district is restricting the visitors to two support people per birth, with no other visitors while in hospital.

Siblings of the child can now visit, on the condition they are well.

In hospitals, visiting hours will be between 1pm to 6pm daily.

Visits will occur in the patient's room, and will be limited to one hour only, twice per day.

As a precautionary measure all visitors will have their temperature checked.

Visitors will also be asked:

Have you returned from overseas or from a COVID-19 hotspot in the past 14 days?

Have you had close contact with a person confirmed or suspected of having COVID-19?

Have you visited a COVID-19 hotspot in the last 14 days?

Are you feeling unwell with any flu-like symptoms?

If anyone answers yes to any of these questions, or has a temperature of 37.5 degrees or above, you will not be permitted to enter the facility.

Visitors to hospitals and other public health facilities will be asked to wear a mask upon entering.

Specific information for carers regarding COVID-19 is available on the Australian Government's Carers Gateway site.

For more inform about these changes go to:

https://nnswlhd.health.nsw.gov.au/about/important-updates-for-visitors/