Anne Arundel Hospitals Restrict Visitors Due To Coronavirus

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Anne Arundel County Medical Center in Annapolis and the University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie have implemented visitor restrictions at their facilities effective immediately.

Anne Arundel County Medical Center has enacted the following restrictions:

• No one younger than age 12 may visit.
• Anyone experiencing cold- or flu-like symptoms should not visit.
• Patients and visitors to any Luminis Health facility with respiratory symptoms must request a mask upon arrival.

The hospital also asks that patients who have respiratory symptoms, as in a cough, runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing or fever, should cancel or postpone medical appointments for the interim unless "absolutely essential."

"Staying home while sick is one of the most important things you can do to help during this time. All of us have to work together to reduce the chance of transmission of this (or other) respiratory viruses," the hospital stated.

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Anne Arundel County Medical Center also shared on its website that it is "prepared and ready to care for patients with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19."

"Our clinical teams have been trained on how to identify, isolate and care for patients with this and other contagious illnesses. We have protocols and systems in place to keep patients, visitors and health care workers safe, and we work closely with the CDC and local and state departments of health to implement their guidance into our established protocols," the hospital stated.

Due to an increased number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across Maryland, the University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center (UM BWMC) is officially canceling all community health classes, events, program and support groups held on the hospital’s main campus as well as off campus properties effective immediately.

UM BWMC also has put the following protocol in place:

• All visitors must check in at the front desk and will be asked the following questions:
• Have you had a fever or do you feel sick?
• Have you traveled outside the country within the last 14 days?
• Have you been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19?

• No visitors under the age of 18 unless they are parents of hospitalized children.
  • This policy includes infants and siblings.
  • Other family members or friends will not be allowed to enter the facility or to wait in lobbies or common areas. This includes all areas of the hospital — the lobby, waiting areas and common spaces, chapels, cafeteria, food court, bank or any other area within the hospital or medical center.
  • This policy also applies to ambulatory clinics and urgent care facilities.

• Limit of one visitor per patient.
  • This means only one person may accompany a patient to the hospital, ambulatory, clinic appointments or urgent care visit.
  • For inpatient visits, only one visitor may be in the building, including the main entrance, at a time.

• Visitors may be screened for flu-like symptoms, such as fever, cough or sore throat, depending on the situation.
• Visitors returning from international travel may not visit until they have been in the United States, symptom free, for 14 days.
• Exceptions to these restrictions can be made in specific circumstances, and by prior approval of the Physician Administrative Officer (PAO), including:
  • End-of-life care
  • Two parents or caregivers of pediatric patients as long as neither is symptomatic.
  • Labor and delivery – two visitors including the professional support person or postpartum helper.

• Based on case reports of canine COVID-19 and the recommendation of UMMS Infection Prevention, we are suspending all animal therapy immediately. Service animals will continue to be allowed entrance.

See Also:

• Coronavirus Update: Fifth Montgomery Co. Resident Tests Positive
• Turkey Disputes Hogan's Claim About Harford Coronavirus Resident
• Maryland Can Now Provide Testing For The New Coronavirus