UHS, Lourdes hospitals easing visiting rules as of Monday

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — The UHS and Lourdes hospitals are revising visiting-hour rules as of Monday following pandemic-impacted restrictions.

The new visiting hours at Lourdes Hospital and at the UHS Hospitals (Binghamton General and Wilson) will be 3-7 p.m. daily.

In addition, the visiting hours at UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital will be 9-11 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. daily; and the hours at UHS Delaware Valley Hospital are scheduled from 9-11 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. daily, per a UHS news release.

Visits will be permitted in keeping with the regulations of the New York State Department of Health. Each visitor is required to wear a mask, use a designated entrance to access the hospital, and be screened by visitor-management personnel before going to see a patient.

Visitors with a fever, sore throat, or other possible COVID-19 symptoms won’t be allowed to visit, and visitors under age 18 won’t be permitted.

Two visitors will be allowed per adult patient for up to four hours at a time in single-occupancy rooms. In double-occupancy rooms where there are already two patients in the room, patients may receive only one visitor at a time for up to four hours. And the total number of people in the room may not exceed four, which includes the patients.

For pediatric patients, both parents or two designated adult support persons are permitted. For labor & delivery and maternity, patients are allowed two support persons in addition to a doula, if desired.

The visitation for women in labor with two persons is 24 hours while in labor. In the emergency department, one visitor is permitted once the patient has been taken to a room.

For palliative care or end-of-life, care visitation hours “may be relaxed,” UHS added.