Greenwich Hospital Limits Visitation As Coronavirus Cases Rise

GREENWICH, CT — With coronavirus (COVID-19) cases on the rise in Greenwich and around the state, Greenwich Hospital is restricting all visitors, with some exceptions, at its facilities, officials announced.

"We know in-person visits provide support and reassurance, and we understand that visitation restrictions can be very unsettling to patients and family members alike," officials said. "Our teams are committed to maintaining a compassionate connection virtually between patients and their loved ones to reduce this burden."

The restrictions, which went into effect Tuesday, are designed to prevent the spread of the virus and to protect the health and safety of patients, visitors and staff. The visitation changes are as follows:

• There is no visitation to hospitalized patients due to the highly contagious nature of COVID-19. Rare exceptions to this policy may be made at the discretion of the patient’s clinical team, and we will do our best to accommodate exceptions where possible. Our first priority is to protect the health of our patients, visitors and staff. (Among the visitor exceptions that can be made will be for maternity patients; children who are patients; patients for whom end-of-life is imminent; NICU patients; and patients with disabilities, such as altered mental status, physical, intellectual or cognitive disabilities, communication barriers, or behavioral concerns. We encourage visitors to remain closely connected to their loved ones through virtual means, including Skype, FaceTime and/or phone.)

• All visitors who do enter the hospital will continue to be screened for evidence of illness by the staff at the front desk. Should questions arise, front desk staff will contact clinical leadership for guidance. (Visitors who are sick will not be permitted to enter the hospital; this is without exception.)

The recent spike in coronavirus cases in Connecticut led to Gov. Ned Lamont increasing the fines for businesses that violate safety protocols to $10,000, beginning on Thanksgiving.

Greenwich Hospital continues its efforts to keep patients, visitors and healthcare professionals safe. The hospital remains ready to care for all patients while maintaining all safety precautions.

For more COVID-19 information, contact the Yale New Haven Health call center seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 833-ASK-YNHH (833-275-9644).