SINGAPORE: Visits to hospital wards and residential care houses will stay suspended till Apr 3, the Ministry of Health (MOH) mentioned on Friday (Mar 18).
“While the daily number of local COVID-19 cases has fallen gradually over the past week, our hospitals continue to face a high volume of patients and our healthcare workers are still under significant stress,” mentioned MOH in a press launch.
“As such, to relieve pressure on our hospital staff, and our nursing home staff who are caring for COVID-positive residents on-site, in-person visits to hospital wards and homes will continue to be suspended,” it added.
Visits to hospital wards and residential care houses had beforehand been suspended till Mar 20.
VISITS ALLOWED FOR EXCEPTIONAL CASES
However, hospitals and residential care houses have the discretion to permit visits for distinctive circumstances.
In hospitals, these embrace sufferers who’re in vital situation, sufferers who’re youngsters, and birthing or post-partum moms.
Patients who require caregivers are additionally among the many teams who’re allowed to have guests.
“Examples of caregivers include those providing assistance to inpatients who have mental incapacities or family members who are undergoing caregiver training to better care for their loved ones after hospital discharge,” MOH mentioned.
These affected person teams are allowed to have one go to per day from one pre-designated customer.
However, sufferers who’re in vital situation can have as much as 5 pre-designated guests, with a most of two guests on the similar time.
Anyone who’s allowed to go to hospital wards might want to produce a sound adverse antigen fast take a look at (ART) consequence obtained throughout the final 24 hours of every go to, mentioned MOH.
“This is a mandatory requirement for all visitors regardless of vaccination status, except for persons who have recovered from COVID-19 and are able to present a valid Pre-Event Test (PET) exemption notice,” it added.
Fully vaccinated or medically ineligible guests can carry out an unsupervised self-administered ART or go for an ART administered or supervised by MOH-approved COVID-19 take a look at suppliers, together with these achieved at Quick Test Centres.
Such people who select to endure an unsupervised self-administered ART will probably be required to indicate proof of a sound ART consequence, comparable to presenting a time-stamped photograph of the dated consequence and photograph ID for verification earlier than entry.
Non-fully vaccinated guests can be required to indicate outcomes of ART administered or supervised by MOH-approved COVID-19 take a look at suppliers, mentioned MOH.
The Health Ministry mentioned that it’ll assessment and calibrate measures because the scenario develops.
To assist sufferers and residents communicate with their family members throughout this prolonged interval, hospitals and houses will proceed to assist different strategies of communication, comparable to via phone or video calls.
“We seek the understanding and cooperation of patients/residents, and their family members and loved ones,” it added.
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Source : channelnewsasia.com
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