HCHC sets temporary visitation policy

MT. PLEASANT - The Henry County Health Center (HCHC) announced and put in place a temporary visitation policy for its Park Place Elder Living facility, Maternity Services and Inpatient Services Departments on Tuesday afternoon in response to the spread of influenza and COVID-19.

Currently, all visitors are restricted from entering Park Place or Maternity Services. For Inpatient Services, only two adult visitors will be allowed 'at any one time in most circumstances,” according to HCHC's news release. Visitors under the age of 18 must be immediate family members of the patient or 'considered by the patient's health care team to be essential for the patient's well-being.”

The policy also states visitors must be healthy and those with respiratory or influenza symptoms will have visits postponed until symptoms are gone. The health center is also asking for visitors who have had close contact with 'laboratory-confirmed” COVID-19 patients or have recently traveled from China, Iran, Italy, Japan or South Korea to refrain from visiting.

'The visitor restriction is a safety precaution to maintain a healthy hospital environment for patients, elders, visitors and associates and Henry County Health Center,” the statement reads.

The restrictions come after the Washington County Hospital and Clinics announced restrictions of its own on Wednesday.