Visitor restrictions ease at Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital

Simcoe Muskoka hospitals ease visitor restrictions With the recent decline in COVID-19 cases, hospitals in Simcoe County will once again allow visitors.

The Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital (OSMH) is easing visitor restrictions as of Wednesday.

"Under the previous rules put in place as part of COVID-19 precautions, short stay and low acuity patients were mostly ineligible to receive visitors unless their condition warranted," the hospital stated in a release Wednesday.

"Those patients are now able to receive visitors, although there are still protections in place limiting the number of visitors per patient and the length of time that they can be in hospital.

"Visitors must still pre-register in advance and consideration is based on patient needs and approval by the care team."

Visitors are still required to show proof of vaccination upon entry and wear hospital-provided masks even after the mask mandate lifts in the province on March 21.

"OSMH continues to maintain compassionate exceptions to the visiting policy for childbirth, the neonatal intensive care unit and end of life situations," OSMH said.

"In the emergency department and other outpatient care areas where space limitations make physical distancing difficult, visiting remains at the discretion of the care team."

OSMH said visiting restrictions are subject to change as per provincial guidelines. Further information is found on the hospital's website.