MARTINSVILLE, Va. – With an empty COVID-19 unit in Martinsville and new coronavirus cases declining, Sovah Health hospitals are easing some of their visitor restrictions.
Patients are now allowed to have one visitor per day during limited hours.
Visitors can pass by from 10 a.m. to noon and from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. all week.
A patient can have one visitor in the morning and a different visitor at night but visitors cannot switch during each time block.
For high-risk patients, visitors are still not allowed.
After using technology for months to connect patients with families, health care workers understand virtual support is not always enough.
“There’s nothing that can substitute for having friends and family members at the bedside to help understand what’s happening and care,” Sovah Health Chief Nursing Officer Barbara Seymour said.
Visitors must be 18 and older and must provide their own mask.
All visitors will be screened at the entrance. If visitors do not pass the screening, they can reschedule their visit.