Beverly Hospital Now Screening Visitors For Coronavirus

Beverly MA

11 March, 2020

12:59 PM

Description

BEVERLY, MA—Anyone visiting Beth Israel Lahey Health emergency departments, inpatient units or urgent care centers will now be screened for the coronavirus and the flu, hospital staff has announced. Visitors with flu, flu-like illness or COVID-19 exposure will be asked to refrain from visiting the facilities. The new visitor guidelines are only temporary, according to hospital officials, and also include: Only one visitor allowed per patient.Children under the age of 12 are not allowed to visit.All others, such as vendors, with illnesses are not permitted in the emergency department.Beth Israel Lahey Health officials say they've established a multi-disciplinary team of experts from across the hospital's system to monitor the progression of the disease and address immediate needs and plan for potential impacts. "We have robust processes and protocols in place at all of our sites of care and are fully prepared to both assess and care for patients and to protect other patients, staff and visitors," hospital officials said on their website. According to Gov. Charlie Baker, at last check, there were 92 cases of COVID-19 in Massachusetts — 91 of them presumptive positive tests — and the number was expected to increase as more testing is done. SEE ALSO: MA Coronavirus: More Than 1,000 Have Been Subject To QuarantineSubscribe to Beverly Patch for the latest on the coronavirus. Find your local Patch for more in your city or town.