General Content

Visitor Hours, Restrictions & Masking Policies

Updated: January 17, 2024

Masking Guidelines

Throughout the upcoming months, we may have to continue to implement masking as a strategy to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, RSV, and the flu virus for limited portions of time within our facilities. See below for current hospital-specific masking guidelines.

Masking will be optional for individuals in most other health care facilities unless signage indicates otherwise.

For the safety of our high-risk and/or immunocompromised patients, masking remains mandatory for the following individuals/facilities:

Where patients are being treated for cancer, or have other immunocompromising conditions.
For anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 or has a known exposure to COVID-19 (must be worn for 10 days, per CDC guidelines).
Anyone showing signs of respiratory illness (coughing, sneezing, fever, runny nose, etc.)

Visitor Hours

- Rochester General Hospital: 9 am – 8 pm (Guests need to check in)
- Unity Hospital: 9 am – 8 pm (Guests need to check in)
- Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic: 8 am – 8 pm
- Newark-Wayne Community Hospital: 8 am – 8 pm
- United Memorial Medical Center: 9 am – 8 pm
- Canton-Potsdam Hospital: 9 am – 8 pm
- Gouverneur Hospital: 9 am – 8 pm
- Massena Hospital: 9 am – 8 pm
* St. Lawrence Health allows a patient’s identified Care partner to visit 24/7 as part of the Care Partner program
- Rochester General Hospital
  - Patients ages 18 and under: 2 visitors per patient
  - Patients ages 19 and older: 1 visitor per patient
  - Due to capacity constraints, visitor restrictions may be put into place at any time.
- Unity Hospital: 24 hours a day, with 1 visitor per patient
- Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic: 24 hours a day, with 1 visitor per patient
- Newark-Wayne Community Hospital: 24 hours a day, with 1 visitor per patient
- United Memorial Medical Center: 24 hours a day, with 1 visitor per patient
- Canton-Potsdam Hospital: 24 hours a day, with 1 visitor per patient
- Gouverneur Hospital: 24 hours a day, with 1 visitor per patient
- Massena Hospital: 24 hours a day, with 1 visitor per patient

Visitor Restrictions

Due to the prevalence of flu in New York State, visitors to acute care facilities must be 14 years or older. Specific units may have different restrictions. See below for additional restrictions.

Two (2) visitors are allowed throughout the patient's stay. Only one (1) visitor is allowed at a time at the bedside.

One visitor will be able to accompany the patient during registration and in the pre-anesthesia and recovery areas. The second visitor will be asked to wait in their car during the surgical procedure. The Ambulatory Surgery Center staff will call the visitor when it’s appropriate to visit the patient in recovery.

Masks are not required to be worn but are recommended.
- Visitation Hours: 9 am – 8 pm
- Limit of two (2) visitors at the bedside during visiting hours
- As of December 8, 2023, All visitors must be 12 years of age or older
- Visitation Hours: 24 hours a day
- Two (2) visitors allowed at a time
- Grandparents (or additional support persons) are allowed to visit
- Volunteers for the Cuddler Program can resume duties as of May 2023
- Restrictions will be in place for individuals who test positive for COVID-19 or have close exposure to someone with COVID-19 – regardless of whether they are symptomatic or asymptomatic
  - Birth parents who test positive for COVID-19 and are asymptomatic will be kept out of the NICU for five (5) days from the date of the positive test. On day 6, they can enter the NICU as long as they remain asymptomatic and are wearing a mask.
  - Birth parents and family caregivers who test positive for COVID-19 and are symptomatic will be allowed to enter the ICU once all three (3) of the following criteria are met:
    - Fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication
    - At least 10 days since symptoms first appeared
    - Symptoms have improved
  - Birth parents and family caregivers who have close exposure to someone with COVID-19 but are asymptomatic will be allowed to visit the NICU as long as they remain asymptomatic. Visitors must wear masks while in the NICU. If any individual develops COVID-19 symptoms, they must be tested for COVID-19 as soon as possible and remain out of the NICU until a negative test is confirmed and symptoms improve.
Patients with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, and cognitive impairments including dementia are allowed the following visitors:
- One (1) support person may be present onsite at a time in the emergency room or during hospitalization
- One (1) additional visitor may also be with the patient for four (4) hours once the patient is admitted to a room.
We encourage and support visitors, and are so excited to have siblings back on the unit. Please note that the children coming on the unit must be in good health and under the care of another adult, they cannot be left in the sole care of the admitted patient. We want to encourage and support this bonding time with your family while still supporting your recovery and safety, so please let us know how we can best support you.
- Triage/NSTs: Prior to admission, in labor and delivery triage, one visitor/support person, plus a certified
  doula, are allowed.
- Cesarean section births – in operating room and first two hours of recovery: one support person plus
  a certified doula are allowed.
- Labor/recovery: Patients may have four designated support people and a certified doula to be present at
  the bedside upon admission, throughout labor, delivery and recovery.
- Postpartum: Visitors are allowed during normal visiting hours, 8am-8pm. There are no age restrictions.
  After 8pm, one designated support person and/or a doula may stay around the clock.
Visitation Hours: 9 am – 8 pm
- Visitors to 2000 PEDS must be at least 12 years old
- Visitors to the following units must be at least 14 years old
  - SICU
  - SSDU
  - CICU
  - CTICU
  - MICU
  - MSDU
Visitation Hours: 9 am – 1 pm and 4 pm – 8 pm
- Care partners will be allowed to stay 24 hours a day
- No visitors under the age of 12 are allowed, with exceptions for end of life patients
Visitation Hours: 9 am – 8 pm
- Visitors to the following units must be at least 14 years old
  - ICU
  - 2400/INCU

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