St. Mary’s to reduce number of Care Partner visits in light of Omicron spread in Ontario
After much deliberation and given the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic, St. Mary’s General Hospital has decided to reduce the number and frequency of Care Partners for inpatients. This decision was made in an effort to reduce the number of people in the hospital at any given time, while still balancing the needs of our patients and their families.
This decision was not made lightly. We understand the impact that these restrictions have on our patients. This is one measure among many that we’re taking in our fight against the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
Starting on Monday, December 20, inpatients will be allowed to designate a maximum of two Care Partners. One Care Partner may visit per day, for a maximum of two hours. Fully vaccinated support people can accompany patients for outpatient appointments where care decisions will be made, or when the patient requires assistance with communication or mobility.
As a rule, Care Partners must be fully vaccinated to enter the hospital; that part of the policy has not changed. At times, however, there may be special circumstances where a person who is not fully vaccinated to have increased access for support of patients. The patient unit must determine and document if a patient is experiencing a special circumstance.
We are still requesting that visits take place between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. through the week whenever possible, and between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekends.
Thank you for your continued support as we work tirelessly to ensure our patients and community remain safe. Know that we are taking as many precautions and measures as possible to ensure the same. If the past year has shown us anything, it is that we are resilient and we can work through this together as a community.