Newfoundland and Labrador Health Authorities have been given the green light to allow more visitors in hospitals and long-term care facilities.
Starting Monday, July 13, each resident will be allowed to appoint six people with visitation rights.
“A resident would designate a list of six individuals who would form that panel of visitors,” Health Minister John Haggie said Wednesday. “The actual mechanics in terms of visiting time and the location within the home … that would be facility and (resident) specific.”
Although they don’t fall under regional health authorities, private care facilities are free to offer the same expansion of visitor rights as they feel fit. That includes allowing day trips outside the home under certain conditions.
For the past month, residents in care homes have only been allowed one designated visitor, as long as safety precautions such as mask-wearing and social distancing are maintained.
Haggie also announced visitation changes for health care facilities such as hospitals.
We’ve heard very clearly that an area of challenge was that of antenatal and prenatal ultrasounds, so we have specifically included a support person for those visits,” he said.
The six-visitor policy will also apply to patients in acute care.
The rules don’t come into effect until Monday in order to give facilities to chance to plan for the changes.
