WINDSOR, ONT. -- Chatham-Kent Health Alliance has altered its visitor restrictions allowing for inpatients to have one visitor per day.

Starting Wednesday, patients can have one visitor per day who will be allowed to visit between 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The visitor must check in at the nurses’ station before their visit and a hospital wide announcement will be made when visiting hours are over.

“The health and safety of everyone will continue to be priority with each phase carefully monitored over time. As the pandemic evolves, CKHA will determine if it is necessary to change course, at any time, to maintain the safety of staff, patients and the community,” the news release stated.

The hospital cited the low frequency of COVID-19 cases in Chatham-Kent along with feedback from patients, families, staff and doctors in implementing visitor changes and said it would be taking a staged approach.

Visiting outside the allotted hours will be permitted for patients who are dying or palliative and will be approved by the care team first.

There will be no visitors allowed to see a confirmed COVID-19 positive patient, the hospital says, regardless of condition.

Other modifications and exceptions to CKHA's visiting policy include:

  • An inpatient who is actively dying, as determined by the clinical provider, may have no more than two visitors present at a time.
  • An inpatient who is considered palliative, as determined by the clinical provider, may have one visitor present at a time.
  • Inpatients or outpatients who require significant support whose absence may negatively impact the provision of safe care, at the direction of the clinical provider/team, may be accompanied by one support person.
  • Paediatric patients may be accompanied by one adult visitor.
  • Women in active labour/post-partum may be accompanied by one adult visitor
  • A patient who is at imminent risk of dying may have a loved one present with them during their emergency departmet (ED) stay.
  • Patients with cognitive or mobility difficulties may be accompanied by one person during their ED stay.
  • Paediatric patients in the ED are permitted to be accompanied by one adult.

Visitors will continue to be screened at the main entrance at the Chatham site and the emergency department entrance at the Wallaceburg site. All visitors must wear a mask and be over the age of 18.

CKHA is also asking visitors “out of an abundance of caution” if they are paying frequent visits to a loved one in the hospital to try and limit movement throughout the community to avoid the spread of illness.