Beaumont, Michigan Medicine ease visitor rules as COVID-19 cases decline

With COVID-19 hospitalizations at their lowest level since mid-March, Beaumont Health and Michigan Medicine are easing visitor restrictions starting this week.

Beaumont Health will allow for one visitor per patient each day, regardless of vaccination status, starting at 8 a.m. Tuesday at its hospitals.

Michigan Medicine said it will lift some visitor restrictions for adult patients, also allowing one visitor each day between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. starting Wednesday. 

In Michigan Medicine's emergency rooms and for clinic appointments, adults will be allowed one visitor.

COVID patients will not be allowed visitors at either hospital system except in end-of-life circumstances.

Anyone visiting either hospital must wear a mask covering their nose and mouth at all times. Those who refuse will not be allowed to enter the medical campuses, hospital officials said.

Michigan Medicine's pediatric rules will not be changed. Currently, pediatric patients in the hospital are allowed two visitors, those going to clinic appointments are allowed one.

The visitor policy changes for Beaumont and Michigan Medicine come days after Henry Ford Health System announced Friday that it was loosening some of its restrictions. 

Beaumont had reinstated visitor restrictions on March 24, after easing its rules in February. The health system has not been allowing visitors for patients, regardless of whether they had COVID-19, except in extreme circumstances.

Michigan Medicine began limiting visitors on April 2 when cases and hospitalizations in the state began to rise. 

COVID-19 cases and testing positivity in Michigan have declined for the last six weeks. 

On Monday, the state added 1,378 coronavirus cases and 14 deaths, including cases from Sunday. 

The latest figures bring Michigan's total number of cases to 884,580 and deaths to 18,953 since the virus was first detected here in March 2020, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.

Beaumont Health on Monday noted each visitor entering its facilities will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms prior to entry. Visitors should not be experiencing symptoms or waiting on COVID-19 test results.

For patients who do not have COVID-19, one support person at a time may be at the bedside each day. Vistors can alternate during the day, exchanging in the lobby or outside the hospital. Up to three exchanges per day are permitted.

No one will be allowed in rooms of patients with pending or positive COVID-19 tests except for individuals who are approaching the end-of-life, patients under 21 years of age, women in labor, or other extreme circumstances where the benefits of presence outweigh the risk of COVID-19 exposure.

Beaumont will continue to evaluate visitation policies and procedures and update the guidelines as needed.

For information on Beaumont vaccine clinics, visit: beaumont.org/covid-vaccine.

srahal@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @SarahRahal_