Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The changes are aimed at controlling COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses

WINSTON-SALEM — To protect the health and safety of patients and team members, Novant Health is further limiting visitation in all acute care facilities in North Carolina. As of Friday, March 20, at noon, no visitors will be permitted in acute care facilities except for laboring mothers and patients who are minors (under age 18). Laboring mothers may have one partner and one birth support person accompany them. Minors under 18 may have one visitor, parent or guardian. As a reminder, visitors who meet these exceptions must be healthy (no cough, fever or flu-like symptoms) and at least 13 or older unless seeking medical care. Additional exceptions may be granted in special circumstances, such as end-of-life care.

This is another proactive step Novant Health is taking to care for patients during the novel coronavirus outbreak as it anticipates seeing more presumptive positive COVID-19 cases in the community. Novant Health will continue to limit entrances and exits to the acute care facilities to centralize the foot traffic of patients, visitors and team members coming in and out. Screening will be implemented at these entrances, also starting on March 20.

Please note, these restrictions do not apply to those seeking care.

The restrictions apply to the following hospitals throughout the Novant Health system, including:

• Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center
• Novant Health Charlotte Orthopedic Hospital
• Novant Health Clemmons Medical Center
• Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center
• Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital
• Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center
• Novant Health Kernersville Medical Center
• Novant Health Matthews Medical Center
• Novant Health Medical Park Hospital
• Novant Health Mint Hill Medical Center
• Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center
• Novant Health Rowan Medical Center
• Novant Health Thomasville Medical Center

This is a rapidly evolving situation and Novant Health will take additional steps to help control the spread of the virus as necessary.

Loved ones of patients are encouraged to use phone calls or video chats on personal phones or mobile devices to communicate.