Visiting public hospitals during COVID-19

The safety and welfare of people in our hospital and health services during COVID-19 pandemic means there are some restrictions for visitors.

The below visitor guidelines have been developed to protect staff, patients and visitors.

Check with the individual hospital for local visitor information before you visit.

Visitor restrictions

Visitors should not enter a hospital if they have:

• a temperature higher than 38 degrees Celsius, fever, chills or symptoms of acute respiratory infection in the preceding 72 hours
• had a COVID-19 test and are awaiting the test results
• been a known contact with a person who has a confirmed case of COVID-19 (unless appropriate PPE was worn)
• tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 14 days
• undertaken a COVID-19 test and are awaiting the test results, unless this was a routine COVID-19 test required to be undertaken due to cross border travel or employment.
  

Adult patients

Hospital inpatients

Maximum of two adults with children can visit at any time, throughout the patient’s stay, during established visiting periods. Additional visits for compassionate reasons can be made at the discretion of the Local Health Network.

Outpatients and Emergency

One adult visitor preferred.

Maximum of two visitors (children included) may accompany a patient to an Emergency Department or a hospital based outpatient appointment.

Maternity patients

Delivery and postnatal wards

Maximum of two designated visitors may attend with a woman in labour. The two adult visitors and children can visit the ward environment for the duration of the stay.

Outpatients and Emergency

One adult visitor preferred.

Maximum of two visitors may accompany a patient to an Emergency Department or a hospital based outpatient appointment.

Paediatric patients

Inpatients

Maximum of two adults with children can visit at any time, throughout the patient's stay, during established visiting periods.

Outpatients and Emergency

One adult visitor preferred.

Maximum of two visitors may accompany a patient to an Emergency Department or a hospital-based outpatient appointment.

Palliative, end of life or critically unwell patients

Hospital Settings

Where appropriate and safe, visitors are permitted for palliative/end of life care providing physical distancing requirements can be achieved. Multiple visitors that are not from the same household should maintain physical distancing.

A maximum of two visitors for critically ill patients (including neonatal) at any time. More than one pair may visit in the same day if clinically appropriate at the discretion of the LHN. However, this may be increased at discretion of the LHN, via consultation with the command structure.

Residential Aged Care Facilities

Relatives and friends (including children) are permitted to visit their loved one in an aged care facility. Visits for the purpose of providing end of life support to a resident are permitted and numbers of visitors are not restricted in these circumstances.

Residential aged care facility

For more information see the Aged Care – COVID-19 page.