Michigan Medicine announces restrictions to visitors as statewide COVID-19 cases surge

Restrictions apply to emergency department, hospitals, clinics

Aerial view of the Michigan Medicine campus in Ann Arbor. (Michigan Medicine)

ANN ARBOR – Michigan Medicine announced Monday it has added visitor restrictions at its hospitals and clinics to curb the spread of COVID-19 and to protect patients and staff.

Visitors are no longer allowed in the adult emergency department, except when medically necessary.

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Its visitor policy at its adult hospitals and C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital remains unchanged: one visitor per day per adult and two for pediatric patients. Visitors, including family, are required to wear a face covering that covers their nose and mouth at all Michigan Medicine properties, including inside a patient’s room. Patients who are able to tolerate a mask must wear one in the presence of a health care worker.

No visitors will be allowed in clinics for adult patients unless the patient has a physical or cognitive impairment that requires assistance. For pediatric patients, one primary caregiver is allowed at an appointment, unless an additional assistant or aide is required.

Exceptions to the new restrictions include end-of-life care, labor and delivery and other scenarios which are listed here.

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“We recognize the critical role that visitors – families and friends – play in the well-being of our patients. However, as the spread of COVID-19 hits record-setting levels across the state, we need to minimize the risk of transmission,” Laraine Washer, Michigan Medicine’s medical director of infection prevention and epidemiology, said in a statement.

“Our top priority is the safety of our patients and our staff. We hope that by adding these restrictions, we will better protect everyone from COVID-19,” Washer continued. “We need to continue to keep our Michigan Medicine facilities safe for all of our patients.”

Since the pandemic began in March, Michigan Medicine has been taking steps to keep staff and patients safe, including screening patients for symptoms, cleaning and disinfecting facilities, moving furniture to observe social distancing and following the latest guidelines to minimize infections.

“Many people in our facilities are very sick or have weakened immune systems, which places them at higher risk," Washer said in a statement. “Limiting visitors and requiring a mask at all times will help reduce the spread of infection.”

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