HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The visitor's parking deck at Huntsville Hospital may look a little emptier than usual.
Starting Aug. 6 at 12 p.m., visitation policies will change. Most patients, COVID positive or not, will only be allowed one visitor. The President and COO, Tracy Doughty, says it's the best thing to do.
"We don't need an outbreak with our nursing staff, or our physicians to get sick, or somebody to come in and give it to a patient," Doughty said.
Expecting moms can have two adult visitors, but they must be the same two adults throughout the entire stay. COVID-19 positive patients can have one designated visitor throughout their entire stay. Pediatric patients being seen for non-COVID related issues can have one visitor in the waiting room and two adults at their bedside.
"We know that the delta variant is much more transmissible, and just like most of the country, about 80 percent of what we're seeing right now in Alabama is Delta Variant," Doughty said. "Out of an abundance of caution, to be safe to our families, patients, visitors, physicians, nurses techs, and everyone, the fewer people in and out of the hospital the less likely it'll be transmitted."
The full visitation policy can be found on Huntsville Hospital's website.
Visitors must be 16 years of age or older with valid ID, free of COVID symptoms, and not been diagnosed or exposed to someone with COVID-19 in the last 7 days.