WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – As of Friday, March 16 at 7 a.m., all but one acute care Novant Health facility will lift visitor restrictions which were put in place Jan 12. The one medical center not lifting visitor restrictions at this time is Novant Health UVA Health System Culpeper Medical Center.
During the height of this flu season, Novant Health asked the community to keep visitors not 13 or older out of all of its hospital facilities. As a result of the declining number of flu cases seen over the past few weeks, these restrictions will be lifted. The decision has been made in collaboration with other large health systems.
Individuals exhibiting flu symptoms still should not visit patients. Those symptoms include fever, cough and/or sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headaches and/or body aches, chills, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea. However, people who are seeking treatment at hospitals are not subject to the restriction.
“We appreciate the continued support and flexibility of our patients, their families and the community,” said Dr. David Priest, medical director for infection prevention at Novant Health. “The visitor restrictions were necessary to protect our most vulnerable hospitalized patients, but now as we see the number of influenza cases continue to decline we are happy to welcome back visitors of all ages into our facilities.”
The restrictions have been lifted at all hospitals throughout the Novant Health system, including:
- Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center
- Novant Health Charlotte Orthopedic Hospital
- Novant Health Clemmons Medical Center
- Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center
- Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital
- Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center
- Novant Health Kernersville Medical Center
- Novant Health Matthews Medical Center
- Novant Health Medical Park Hospital
- Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center
- Novant Health Rowan Medical Center
- Novant Health Thomasville Medical Center
- Novant Health UVA Health System Prince William Medical Center
- Novant Health UVA Health System Haymarket Medical Center
All visitors to Novant Health hospitals should properly disinfect their hands by washing with soap and water or using sanitizing gel when entering and leaving the facilities in order to prevent the spread of the flu virus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides regularly updated information on flu activity at this Web address: cdc.gov/flu/weekly/fluactivitysurv.htm.
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