Lifespan Bars Visitors From Rhode Island Hospitals

PROVIDENCE, RI — In an effort to protect both patients and healthcare workers from the coronavirus, Lifespan announced Monday that visitors will no longer be allowed into its hospitals.

One parent will be allowed with children at Hasbro Children's and Bradley Hospital, while a birthing partner will be the only person allowed into Newport Hospital's maternity ward. Anyone who arrives at an emergency room will be allowed just one other person to accompany them.

"We have decided after great deliberation to take this step in these highly unusual circumstances to protect our patients and our workforce," Lifespan's President and CEO Timothy Babineau said. "We understand this is a great hardship to both patients and families, but we know that older and sicker people are most vulnerable to this novel coronavirus, and after careful evaluation of the evolving risks of transmission, we felt it was the most prudent thing to do."

Certain exemptions can be made for end-of-life care or if a patient is in need of a guardian or decision maker. Otherwise, no visitors will be allowed into adult wards.

So far, there have been three confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Rhode Island. The Department of Health once again reminded residents over the weekend of the importance of taking preventive measures, saying it is vitally important for those who are ill to stay home from school or work.

"We know we will have community transmission of COVID-19 in Rhode Island at some point," Dr. Nicole Alecander-Scott, the department's director of health, said in a statement. "We have been preparing for weeks at the Rhode Island Department of Health, but we need the partnership of all Rhode Islanders to help keep our state healthy and safe."

All Rhode Islanders are urged to take the following steps to keep themselves and those around them safe:

• Get a flu shot, and encourage those around you to do the same. While this will not help prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, it is an effective tool to keep people with the flu from developing complications that require hospitalization.
• Cough or sneeze into your elbow rather than a hand or the air.
• Stay home from school or work if sick.
• Keep surfaces clean — especially bedside tables, bathrooms and children's toys — by wiping them down with disinfectant.
• Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious foods to maintain good health.
• Avoid wearing a mask unless instructed to do so by a health care provider. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not recommend that otherwise healthy people wear one to protect themselves, instead only those who are showing symptoms.

State officials have also changed policies at nursing homes, as early data shows that COVID-19 affects those over age 60 more than others. Visitor hours have been restricted, and children under 18 are banned from visiting patients. Other steps include restricting patients from leaving for nonessential reasons and frequently screening employees and anyone else who enters facilities for the virus.

Over the weekend, the department asked residents to take extra precautions when in public, and avoiding close, personal contact with others, particularly at church and in other faith communities.

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