Hospitals in Jacksonville make changes to visitation policies

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Some hospitals successful Jacksonville are making changes to their visitation policies arsenic a record-breaking fig of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are being recorded successful Florida and astir Jacksonville. The surge has forced some hospitals to transcend their capacity.

Baptist Health told News4Jax that its visitation argumentation had been changed past week.

Baptist Health said visitors are nary longer allowed for radical receiving inpatient care. There are 2 exceptions. Labor and transportation inpatients whitethorn person 1 indispensable visitant who tin enactment overnight. Pediatric inpatients are besides allowed 1 visitor.

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For outpatients, determination are immoderate added restrictions successful that children younger than 16 are not allowed to sojourn and cannot beryllium near unsocial successful the lobby. Regardless of vaccination status, each visitors older than 2 indispensable deterioration a look mask.

UF Health Jacksonville said connected July 20 that due to the emergence successful COVID-19 cases successful Jacksonville and Florida, visitation is constricted the hospital said it is allowing 1 visitant per diligent astatine a time. News4Jax reached retired to UF Health to inquire if immoderate changes person been made to the argumentation since.

UF Health Jacksonville officials said the infirmary has the astir COVID-19 patients it has ever had, and that’s adjacent earlier the COVID-19 vaccine came out.

Debra Wells was among the patients hospitalized astatine UF Health Jacksonville successful mid-July.

“I thought I had a cold. Come to find out, it wasn’t a cold,” Wells told a nationalist newsman by phone. “Before I came in, I felt similar I was astir to die.”

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Mayo Clinic told News4Jax July 16, in-patients and out-patients whitethorn person 1 visitant if the diligent has not tested affirmative for COVID-19 oregon is not being evaluated for COVID-19. News4Jax has reached retired to Mayo Clinic to inquire if the record-breaking surge successful cases oregon caller CDC look covering recommendations has changed this policy.

Mayo Clinic asks that visitors beryllium vaccinated for COVID-19. Any patients who person tested affirmative for COVID-19 oregon are being evaluated for COVID-19 whitethorn not person immoderate visitors astatine immoderate time.

Memorial Hospital told News4Jax that its visitation argumentation hasn’t changed, with patients allowed 1 visitant astatine a time.

According to wellness experts, the bulk of hospitalized COVID-19 patients aren’t vaccinated.

Wells said she did not get the COVID-19 vaccine.

“It makes maine privation to get vaccinated now. If you consciousness similar you’re dying, you’ll privation to get vaccinated,” Wells said. “As soon arsenic I get retired of present and get well, I’m going to get vaccinated.”

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Wells’ parent told News4Jax by telephone that she is doing amended but is not definite erstwhile she volition permission the hospital.

Ganeene Starling, 43, of Lake Butler, was hospitalized astatine UF Health Shands Hospital successful Gainesville -- wherever she said it was a adjacent call.

“I was told that I astir apt would die. My hubby was called astatine similar 3 o’clock successful the morning, saying I astir apt would not unrecorded done the night,” Starling said.

Starling said that she did not get the vaccine.

“Now, looking back, I privation to God I would had,” she said. “There’s thing I tin bash astir it now.”

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said helium volition clasp a virtual briefing astatine 12:05 p.m. Wednesday with country wellness attraction leaders to code the caller summation successful COVID-19 cases and the section vaccination rate.

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