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Home > About Us > Media Article Library > Essentia Health restricting hospital visitors at St. Mary’s Medical Center and Essentia Health-Duluth
Published on November 19, 2020
With the significant growth of COVID-19 cases in our communities, Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center and Essentia Health-Duluth will restrict visitors of hospitalized patients beginning Friday, Nov. 20. Like other health care systems across the state and beyond, we are taking this step to keep our patients and staff safe during a time of high community prevalence. Visitors will not be allowed at our Duluth hospitals except in special circumstances and at the discretion of our care teams.
Hospitalized patients with COVID or suspected of having COVID will not be allowed visitors except for pediatric patients, patients for whom a support person has been deemed essential, obstetric patients and patients receiving end-of-life care.
For non-COVID patients, visitors will be allowed under the following circumstances:
Special considerations for individuals and other exceptions may exist. These exceptions will be agreed upon by a patient’s care team.All visitors are required to remain in the patient’s room and are expected to wear a mask and eye protection at all times. Anyone who is sick or showing symptoms of COVID won’t be allowed to visit patients.
These restrictions were made in accordance with our infectious-disease specialists, infection-prevention experts, nursing and physician leaders and our emergency-preparedness teams. We realize the additional restrictions will present an emotional hardship, but they are necessary with record numbers of COVID infections and hospitalizations across our region.
We will continue to use other means for connecting our patients with their loved ones, including technology.
To coordinate interviews, photos, and/or video, contact the media relations team.
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