The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

GRAND Bahama Health Services has announced that hospital visitation restrictions will be relaxed beginning Monday as a part of its phased return to normal services.

The new protocols were outlined in a press statement released on Friday.

According to the statement, regular healthcare services at community clinics and outpatient specialty clinics will continue as officials seek to ensure the safety of patients and staff in a COVID 19 environment.

GBHS said at Rand Memorial hospital, visiting hours at ICU and the step-down unit will be two hours daily, starting at 1pm to 2pm and 6pm to 7pm.

However, only visitors on the approved list will be allowed in for ten minutes each.

The same visitation rules also apply for the paediatric ward, where only the mother, father or legal guardian will be allowed to visit one at a time.

At the obstetrics ward, visiting hours are from 6pm to 8pm daily and are limited to the husband or the infant’s father or those on the approved visitors list.

GBHS added that visitors also will be able to see patients in the Diah ward between the hours of 1pm to 2pm. However, only the patient’s next of kin will be allowed in the ward for ten minutes each day.

As it relates to the medical and surgical wards or the Cancer Association Building, GBHS said no visitations are allowed until further notice.

“Visitors will be managed via the training centre entrance by the security officers who will issue official visitor passes. No food is to be brought into the hospital for patients unless authorised by the attending physician,” the statement added.

“Visitors are not permitted to wait or congregate in the corridors and hallways of the hospital. The public is advised that COVID-19 protocols will be enforced including temperature checks, face masks, social distancing, and hand sanitisation.”

The new protocols were announced after the Ministry of Health reported 17 new COVID-19 cases were recorded on Thursday, bringing the nation’s confirmed tally to 33,169 since the start of the pandemic.

According to the ministry, 11 people are still in hospital with the disease, one of whom is in the intensive care unit. Meanwhile, there have been 771 virus-related deaths recorded to date.

To contain the spread of COVID-19 residents are reminded of the following: if you have symptoms, contact your health provider; while home remedies may work for a period it is important to get tested and receive the proper care before symptoms become too difficult to manage; if you have been asked by the Surveillance Unit to get tested for COVID-19, please follow the advice and take the gold standard RT-PCR test.

Employees are also encouraged to work from home.