Essential visits only at all Interior Health facilities

Only essential visitors are being allowed at Interior Health sites, effective immediately.

"This decision supports the province-wide response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and reflects the provincial state of emergency," an Interior Health Authority media release states.

"The restriction of visits will help keep our patients, individuals in care, families and healthcare workers safe. It also aligns with the provincial health officer’s recommendations for social distancing."

Interior Health said essential visits include but are not limited to:

• Visits for compassionate care (end of life and critical illness).
• Visits considered paramount to patient/client care and well-being (caregivers and support persons), such as assistance with feeding or mobility.
• To further limit the number of people entering sites at this time, the same caregiver or support person should attend each essential visit wherever possible.

Patient navigators will be at entrances of all facilities to ensure visitors are aware of the new restrictions.

In addition, Interior Health asks the public to remember to keep the following in mind:

• People experiencing fever, cough, runny/stuffy nose, sore throat, and/or diarrhea must not visit any Interior Health facility.
• Anyone who has travelled outside of Canada in the previous 14 days must not visit patients/residents in any Interior Health facility.
• Anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 (or who has been in contact with a person infected with COVID-19) during the previous 14 days must not visit patients/residents in any Interior Health facility.

The BC Centre for Disease Control website is the recommended resource for accurate, current COVID-19 information for British Columbians, the release said.

Interior Health also has frequently updated information on the COVID-19 page here.

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