Aiken hospital tightening visitation restrictions next week

Jan. 7—Starting next week, Aiken Regional Medical Centers will make changes to its visitation guidelines as COVID-19 continues to spread throughout the community.

The hospital's visitation hours will still be from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. beginning Tuesday, but the guidelines have been updated.

In the emergency department, one visitor may accompany a patient. The visitors must come in with the patient and stay in the specific room or bay assigned to the patient until discharge. If the patient is admitted, the visitor may accompany the patient during visiting hours.

Inpatient areas, including the ICU and PCU, are permitted one visitor per day during visiting hours. In the labor and delivery/postpartum area, new mothers are permitted one adult visitor per day who is allowed to stay overnight; one visitor is permitted for diagnostic testing.

COVID-positive patients are permitted one visitor per day for a maximum of four hours, but restrictions apply.

Patients with physical, intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and patients with cognitive impairments are permitted two adult visitors per day, with one visitor permitted to stay overnight.

A patient at the end of life is permitted two visitors and a clergyman; exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis.

Pediatric patients can be accompanied by two adults or guardians throughout the entire treatment; siblings are not permitted.

For outpatient testing/surgery, one visitor may accompany a patient. Surgery visitors may stay in the waiting room, wait in their vehicle or leave and come back when notified by phone that the patient is ready to be discharged and picked up.

No visitors are permitted in the behavioral health area, with limited critical exceptions.

Visitors must be at least 18 years old; an exception may be made if the patient is at the end of life.

To ensure social distancing and limit potential exposures, visitors are limited to the patient's room and are not to gather in hallways or visit the cafeteria.

Additionally, all patients, visitors, medical staff and associates will continue to be screened prior to entry, have their temperatures checked and will be required to wear a medical grade mask, regardless of their COVID-19 vaccination status.

All individuals must wear a face covering over the nose and mouth while in the facility; neck huggers/gaiters, bandanas and cloth masks are not approved coverings.

Aiken Regional also announced Friday it has confirmed 2,323 cases of COVID-19 in Aiken County since the pandemic began. Of these 2,323 individuals, 24 are currently receiving care in the hospital, with three in the ICU, and 253 have died.

The 24 individuals receiving care in the hospital include five vaccinated, 17 unvaccinated and two with an unknown vaccine status.