SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. —
Kaiser Permanente is banning visitors of patients from its Northern California hospitals in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
The announcement was made Wednesday and the policy went into effect immediately.
“Kaiser Permanente is restricting visitor policies based on the most current guidelines from federal, state and local public health officials, and the governor of California,” Michelle Gaskill-Hames, senior vice president of Hospitals and Health Plan Operations for Kaiser Permanente Northern California, said.
The hospital has set exceptions:
During end-of-life care, patients are limited to one visitor at a time, unless by special arrangement.
For Labor and Delivery, Postpartum and Pediatric Units, including the pediatric and neonatal intensive care units, only one visitor over the age of 14 who does not have any evidence of cough, cold, or illness will be allowed. All other family members and visitors will be asked not to participate in visitation in the hospital until further notice.
Drivers for patients arriving for surgeries, procedures, will be allowed to enter with the patient and provide contact information, but will be asked to leave until the patient is ready to be discharged.
Adult caretakers are allowed if they’re caring for someone with cognitive or physical disabilities who require assistance, or to provide language assistance if interpretive services cannot suffice.
Only one essential caregiver can accompany a patient for Kaiser medical office appointments.
Gaskill-Hames said they are using social distancing, crowd avoidance, and other techniques at medical centers to help prevent and slow the dissemination of COVID-19. The health care provider is offering members video/telephone visits and encouraging people to use mail-order pharmacy service.
Anyone with a cough, fever, or any other illness, who is not at the facility to receive medical care, is asked not to enter Kaiser hospitals or medical offices. People entering Kaiser facilities will be screened for respiratory symptoms and given directions to the appropriate care setting, Gaskill-Hames said in the press release.
“Kaiser Permanente is taking these steps, and others that support social distancing and safety, to ensure we can continue to provide the high-quality care our members need while protecting our staff employees, physicians, members, patients, and the public,” Gaskill-Hames said.
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Coronavirus background
According to the CDC, coronavirus (COVID-19) is a family of viruses that is spreadable from person to person. Coronavirus is believed to have been first detected in a seafood market in Wuhan, China in December 2019. If someone is sick with coronavirus, the symptoms they may show include mild to severe respiratory illness, cough, and difficulty breathing.
Currently, there is no vaccine, however, the CDC suggests the following precautions, along with any other respiratory illness:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
- Wash your hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds.
The CDC also says facemasks should only be used by people who show symptoms of the virus. If you’re not sick, you do not have to wear a facemask. The CDC says the immediate risk to the U.S. public is low.
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