Effective Monday, March 30 at 7 a.m., Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) is updating visitation guidelines for our Family Birth and Newborn Centers due to increasing concerns about COVID-19 exposure from individuals with no symptoms, both patients and visitors, and due to awareness of regional relocation of patients out of the high-risk New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut area despite recent CDC travel restrictions from these areas.TRIAGE - To reduce personal protective equipment (PPE) consumption during the short time of this encounter in rooms with close proximity, no visitation will be permitted in the Triage Area. Unless delivery appears imminent, anyone who accompanies patients to the hospital will be asked to wait in their car (not waiting room) or leave the campus and return for pickup if the patient is discharged. One support person will be permitted to accompany the patient if she is admitted for delivery.
PERINATAL/ANTEPARTUM UNITS - Visitation on Perinatal Units is not permitted, except under unusual circumstances that should be approved by unit leadership.
LABOR & DELIVERY/MOTHER-BABY UNITS - Visitation will still be permitted on Labor & Delivery and Mother-Baby Units with the following guidance:
Completion of health screening procedures will be performed for all patients and visitors before entering the unit. All patients who present to our units will continue to receive appropriate medical and obstetrical care. Visitors who have a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 or who meet any of the criteria listed below for suspected COVID-19 will be prohibited from entering the Family Birth and Newborn Centers. Additional restrictions prohibiting visitors from NY, NJ, and CT (and other areas as designated by the CDC or other governing bodies) will be imposed until further notice. Patients from these regions may have a visitor who has not been in these high-risk areas. Photo ID as proof of address may be requested.
Suspected COVID-19 patients for the purpose of maternal/newborn care at LVHN are defined as:
- COVID-19 testing pending
- High risk exposure to someone with confirmed COVID-19 (less than 6 feet for more than two minutes)
- Symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 infection including fever, cough and shortness of breath
- Under quarantine for travel including international travel or relocation from greater New York City area (inclusive of NY, NJ and CT) and other areas as designated by the CDC or other governing bodies (14 days required)
- Visitors will undergo daily monitoring during the stay in the hospital – temperature and assessment of symptoms
- Visitors will bring their own mask (a clean, dry, freshly laundered cloth mask is acceptable) to be worn at all times in the hospital.
- One consistent person shall remain through the entire stay – if they leave the hospital, they may not return.
If the mother is a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patient and separation with newborn is performed as recommended by CDC, the visitor cannot move between mother’s isolation room and newborn isolation room/nursery. Ideally visitor for mother in L&D becomes the newborn visitor and no longer visits the mother; a new visitor for mother is not advised. If the mother and newborn are co-located in one room, then the visitor stays in the room with both of them, primarily to provide newborn care.
Patients will also be required to wear masks, preferably their own brought from home, including freshly washed cloth masks. If they do not bring a mask, one will be provided for them. While staff at LVHN are using universal PPE, we recognize that contamination of physical surfaces can occur by patients and visitors with no symptoms which is prompting the requirement of masking of these persons as well.