Early last year, my husband got really really sick and had to stay at the hospital for a week. During his stay, there were a couple of times he really needed me. Like REALLY needed me. Having someone with you in the hospital can be so important. And, when a patient is there for a while, it's important for visitors to be able to play tag-team and recharge.

When COVID hit, all local hospitals went into lockdown mode, restricting visitation. It was necessary but now that restrictions are easing up because of vaccinations, Deaconess has announced new visitor guidelines.

In a Facebook post today, Deaconess stated:

Deaconess is implementing new visitor guidelines effective immediately. Hospitalized patients can receive two adult (age 18 or older) visitors per day. These visitors must screen for COVID-19 symptoms or exposure, and then register when they arrive; the two designated visitors may see the patient together or separately throughout the day. Current visitor restrictions for outpatient and emergency departments, NICUs, and patients in isolation, will remain in place at this time. For full details about visitor guidelines visit www.deaconess.com/visitors.
The website states that visiting hours at Deaconess hospitals are 8 AM - 6 PM (exceptions are made for some circumstances). Those with scheduled surgeries before 8 AM may also have up to two visitors. And those in isolation for COVID or who are awaiting a COVID test result may not have any visitors. You can read all the guidelines here. 

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Hey, that's great news! Recently, Warrick County was upgraded to the state Health Department's yellow advisory status, and Vanderburgh County to blue - the least restrictive of the four color designations. These color designations are based on two factors: the 7-day positivity rate on all tests administered across the state and the weekly number of cases per 100,000 residents.

KEEP READING: 21 COVID-19 Testing Sites in the Tri-State

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