FAYETTEVILLE – March 17, 2020 – Cape Fear Valley Health is implementing additional visitor restrictions to protect patients from the increasing COVID-19 virus threat.
Beginning Wednesday, March 18 at 5 a.m., all Cape Fear Valley hospitals will allow patients to have one support person present for the entirety of the patient’s stay. The new restriction does not apply to pediatric patients, which will be allowed two support people.
Highsmith-Rainey Specialty Hospital’s LCape Fear Valley Implements New Visitor Restrictions ong-Term Acute Care (LTAC) Unit will not allow visitors. The restriction is due to LTAC patients’ higher risk for serious illness from COVID-19.
Designated support people will be given visitor arm bands that must remain on for duration of the hospitalization. No other visitors will be allowed for that patient.
The health system will begin temperature screening patients and visitors at all visitor entrances in the coming days. Visitors will not be admitted if they have a fever.
Entrance doors will be locked between 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly, except for the Emergency Department entrance. Health system staff can continue to use their identification badges at employee entrances.
The health system will also temporarily close its Customer Service offices to the public until Monday, March 30. The offices are located at the E. Newton Smith Building in downtown Fayetteville.
Cape Fear Valley Health is continually monitoring the COVID-19 virus situation and will update its visitor restrictions as needed to better protect health system patients, staff and the community.
Media contact for Cape Fear Valley: Donnie Byers, 910-615-6445 or dbyers@capefearvalley.com
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