Mayo Clinic tightens hospital visitor restrictions

(ABC 6 News) – Mayo Clinic is again implementing stricter hospital visitor guidelines, beginning January 3.

Only one consistent visitor per patient will be allowed in Rochester for daytime visits, emergency department visits, and surgeries or procedures as a way to protect the health and safety of patients and staff amid a surge in COVID-19 cases,

Designated visitors will be screened for symptoms of acute respiratory illness or communicable infection before being allowed to enter.

To protect the safety of staff, patients and visitors, Mayo Clinic will:

• Ask all visitors COVID-19 screening questions at building entrances.
• Require visitors to be masked appropriately at all times and comply with social distancing guidelines.
• Restrict visitors to age 16 and over, unless they are patients seeking care.
• Adjust hospital visiting hours based on local community COVID-19 transmission rates
• Limit inpatients to one consistent visitor. This visitor will wear a sticker and be allowed to come and go throughout the day.
• Prohibit eating and drinking in inpatient rooms. Masks can be removed while dining in designated areas.

Mayo Clinic also encourages visitors wishing to visit loved ones and friends to use other methods to connect with patients, such as through phone calls, texts, emails, or video chats.