The Texas Medical Center announced new restrictions on visitors across its hospitals and clinics in an effort to fight COVID-19.
Dozens of hospitals and clinics across the medical center are included in the announcement, though pediatric hospitals and units will be generally exempted, according to a news release from the medical center on March 27. Individual exceptions will also be managed by each institution.
Exceptions will be reviewed for visitors 18 years of age and older and include: visiting a patient with a terminal condition; patients requiring a legal guardian; and for patients with disabilities. Hospitals with neonatal intensive care and maternity and postpartum units, and life-saving care will also consider exemptions.
“We recognize that this is difficult for families who want to be with their relatives who are hospitalized, but it has become critical that we keep the number of people in clinical settings to a minimum,” said William McKeon, President and CEO of the Texas Medical Center in the news release. “These actions are being taken to maximize our member institutions’ ability to protect patients, their families, and, critically, healthcare providers.”
