PRINCETON, WV (WOAY) – The Princeton Community Hospital is updating their visitation guidelines for patients. The hospital is now allowing two visitors at a time during visitation hours.
President and CEO of the hospital Karen Bowling said, “You know, one thing we’ve tried to do is even with COVID, to be sensitive to the needs of our patients and our communities. As we know in Southern West Virginia, family and loved ones are very important to us.”
If you’re visiting a patient at the hospital, you can also leave the building and return or switch out with other people. However, all visitors must pass the COVID screening at the door.
No one under the age of 18 is permitted in patient care areas, which includes end of life circumstances.
“As we know about COVID, it does happen in young people. Young people can spread it to our adults. They are not as likely to become sick, but they do have the ability to spread it.” Bowling said, “When you’re dealing with children and younger kids, sometimes it’s a little more difficult to control the mask wearing and some of those items.”
Visitation hours originally were being cut off at 5:30 p.m., however the hospital has extended those hours for people who work late.
“As long as they’re here before six and are screened; because our screeners leave at six, they can stay and visit their loved one until 7:30. So we tried to think through all the scenarios where people have come to us and said, ‘Well, I’d think that would be great if.'”
