With the acceleration and spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus, Franciscan Health hospitals in Indianapolis and Mooresville implemented new visitation guidelines.
Patients at both facilities, including the southside hospital, will only be permitted one visitor each day, and it must be the same person during that time. Franciscan Health took these steps after consultation with Franciscan Alliance and Indiana Department of Health, according to a news release.
In keeping with past visitation policies during the pandemic, Franciscan will continue screening all visitors to determine if they are at risk for COVID-19 or other communicable diseases. Those who do not pass screenings will not be permitted to enter the hospital, according to the news release.
Visitors must be ages 18 or older and are required to wear a hospital-provided isolation mask. In clinical areas, visitors should socially distance and practice good hand-cleansing hygiene, the news release says.
The volume of inpatients at both area hospitals has increased significantly since mid-November, and a large majority of the patients are not vaccinated, the news release says.
Visiting hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at both hospitals.
