COVID-19: Appointments & Visiting

Visiting Guidelines

Visiting hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Before visiting our hospitals, there are a few important things you should know:

Proof of vaccination
As of March 1, 2022, we no longer require visitors to our hospitals to show proof of vaccination.

Screening
As of July 13, 2022 all visitors must wear a mask, sanitize their hands and pass the following COVID-19 self-screening questions prior to entering the hospital.

• Do you have any of the following symptoms?
  • Fever
  • Sore throat
  • New or worsening cough, or shortness of breath
  • Loss of sense of smell/taste
  • Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting
• Have you or a close contact tested positive for COVID in the last 10 days?

If you answer YES to any of these questions, please stay home until you are well or no longer at risk of exposure.

Wear a mask

At Hamilton Health Sciences, we will continue to require everyone who enters our hospitals to wear a mask.

• Medical masks will be available from mask dispensers at designated hospital entrances. However, visitors and patients who choose to wear their own clean, well-fitting mask (N95 or KN95) will be permitted to do so.
• Those who refuse to properly wear a mask will not be permitted entry.
• Respirators, or masks with valves, and cloth masks are not permitted.
• We have a process for patients and families who are unable to wear a mask in our ambulatory clinics: we accommodate them by scheduling their visit into the first or last appointment of the day to minimize their interaction with other patients. We also offer face shields for those who are unable to wear a mask.
• Those who would like to see an inpatient, but who are unable to meet our masking requirement, may be accommodated with a virtual inpatient visit.

Please note that physical distancing is no longer required in areas where masks must be worn, including waiting areas.

Inpatients
In-patients are allowed two essential caregivers/support persons/visitors to be at the patient’s bedside every day. However, during the course of the day, these individuals may change. Children under the age of 12 who are supervised and able to mask may visit. For patients who are imminently at the end of life, the clinical managers or delegate, in partnership with the patient and essential caregivers/support persons, will determine the best options for caregiver/support person presence.

On adult Hematology units (C4 and B4), patients are allowed one essential caregiver/support person/visitor and only one essential caregiver/support person/visitor can be at the patient’s bedside every day.

Outpatients
Patients attending ambulatory visits and the emergency department may have one essential caregiver/support person accompany them to the visit. The department reserves the right to temporarily restrict visitors to specific areas if needed.

Pediatric patients
Pediatric patients on all inpatient units (including children and youth in the mental health program) may have two parents/support persons present at a time at the bedside. Children under the age of 12 who are supervised and able to mask may also visit.

Pediatric patients in the Emergency Department, Urgent Care Centre and Ambulatory Care Clinics may be accompanied by two parents/caregivers. The second parent/caregiver may be asked to leave at any time if their presence is no longer deemed essential to the patient’s visit or where there are concerns about crowding coupled with masking non-compliance.

Pediatric patients scheduled for Diagnostic Imaging are permitted to be accompanied by one parent or caregiver.

Neonatal ICU Patients
Patients may have up to two consistent caregivers/support persons present 24/7. Children who are visiting an infant sibling may be any age, provided they are able to wear a mask. Non-sibling visitors must be 12 years of age or older.

Patients who are pregnant, in labour, or postpartum
Labour & Delivery patients may have two consistent caregivers/support persons present 24/7.

Once transferred to the post-partum unit, a patient may have two individuals present at the bedside during visiting hours, and one caregiver/support person overnight.

Antenatal clinics are located on 4B1, 2F, PND.

Some units may have exceptions. Please check with the unit before visiting the hospital to address any exceptions with the clinical manager or care team..

There are limited exemptions to these policies, including:

• Families of an end of life patient – as determined by the clinical team
• Essential caregiver if he/she is caring for a highly dependent family member who needs their frequent support
• Compassionate reasons (e.g., life or limb threatening situations)
• Partner of a patient giving birth; excludes visits to antenatal appointments
• Parents of pediatric patients and parents of infants in the NICU
• Visitors who have valid proof of medical exemption

The presence of family members, caregivers and support persons is important to the well-being of our patients. However, we must balance this with the need to keep everyone within our hospitals safe. We appreciate your support as we continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information, please explore the content below.

 

In Our Hospitals

 

Patients

 

Visiting

 

If you have any questions, please contact your care team or Patient Experience at patientexperience@HHSC.CA.

For further detailed information please ask your health care team. Thank you for your cooperation as we work together to keep patients, families and staff safe.