NSHN Acute Care / Emergency Department Visiting Requirements Updated
Blind River, ON – Visitor restrictions remain in effect as part of the North Shore Health Network’s ongoing response to COVID-19. Visitors are not permitted with the exception of Essential Caregivers or paid support workers.
In addition, new requirements for essential visitors in Acute Care / Emergency Departments at all NSHN sites will come into effect as of Monday January 18, 2021 including:
· In Orange, Red, or Grey zones, all visits must be booked.
o The care team at the appropriate Nursing Station will work with essential visitors to schedule visits.
o Exceptions may be made for compassionate reasons.
· Visits will be time limited to 2 hours in Orange, and 1 hour in Red and Grey zones.
· Essential visitors require a negative swab within the previous 7 days to visit when in Orange, Red and Grey zones.
o Proof of a negative swab is required at time of screening. (Results may be presented electronically via smart phone or by hard copy. Please ensure the date of swab is visible.)
NSHN remains in the GREY-LOCKDOWN zone at this time.
Any visitor who fails the symptom screening questions will not be permitted to visit until they are symptom free for 48 hours and receive a negative COVID-19 test result. Patients who are tested for COVID-19 will not be permitted visitors until a negative test result is back unless the patient is requiring end-of-life care. Where it is not possible or advisable for in-person visits, NSHN will continue to offer the Virtual Visiting Program.
All visitors will be screened at the Main Entrance, asked to perform hand hygiene and wear a mask. Clean handmade cloth masks are acceptable; where cloth masks are not acceptable, NSHN will advise visitors and provide a surgical / procedure mask.
To book a COVID-19 test, please contact the NSHN COVID-19 Assessment Centre at 705-356-2265 or 1-888-425-0321 ext. 2661 (Blind River) or ext. 2662 (Thessalon) or visit: www.nshn.care/covid19.
The North Shore Health Network thanks you for treating our workers with respect. No worker should be subjected to violent, threatening and/or abusive behaviour. Any such behaviour may result in the loss of access to visiting or services.
Figure 1.1. NSHN COVID-19 Visiting Framework outlines all visiting protocols and requirements at all levels in accordance with the local public health unit status.
*For more information on NSHN visiting policies, please visit: https://www.nshn.care/visiting-policies
NSHN ACU/ED Visiting Framework