Hampton Roads hospitals allow more patient visitors, but some pandemic policies remain

Sentara Healthcare is dropping its age restriction and will now let anyone into its hospitals and offices to see patients, a return to its pre-pandemic visitor policy with exceptions for coronavirus patients.

Sentara, which runs seven Hampton Roads hospitals, is one of many hospital systems relaxing its visitor restrictions as the public health crisis abates, but it appears to be the first in the region to allow visits from children under 12 years old.

Riverside Health, which is using a color-coded risk system to determine visitation, is currently at “green” for all of its hospitals, the most open level, allowing two adults to visit patients under most circumstances. Starting Monday, Chesapeake Regional Healthcare will begin letting visitors as young as 12 back in, and patients who don’t have COVID-19 may have two guests at a time, up from one. Neither will allow visitors for patients who might have the coronavirus.

Regardless of vaccination, everyone inside any health care facility, including doctor offices and nursing homes, is still required to wear masks, as advised by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Visitors also will continue to be screened for coronavirus symptoms upon entering facilities.

Some hospitals aren’t ready to return to the status quo. At Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters, most doctor visits and outpatient surgery appointments are limited to one adult per patient.

Children admitted in the hospital or in the emergency room can have two parents or caregivers, except for patients with COVID-19 or awaiting diagnosis — those children may only be accompanied by one. Siblings and other children are still prohibited from visiting.

In Eastern Virginia, about 3.6% of confirmed coronavirus cases are among health care workers, a rate that has been declining for the past two weeks, according to data from the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association. But the trend exceeds the statewide average, which is seeing about 2.8% of the COVID-19 share among health professionals.

Sentara’s announcement following the Fourth of July weekend was another step in rolling back its coronavirus restrictions, which began last month when the hospital system increased the number of visitors allowed in its hospitals and emergency rooms and lifted its testing requirements for surgery patients who could prove they’re fully vaccinated.

But the hospital operator continues to bar visitors for COVID-19 patients or people awaiting test results. Those who are dying are allowed one visitor in the room if the person wears full personal protective equipment. End-of-life COVID-19 patients who are intubated or on a ventilator can have one visitor outside the room.

Elisha Sauers, 757-839-4754, elisha.sauers@pilotonline.com