Nova Scotia Buzz
Due to the rise in COVID-19 cases, community spread in Central Zone and growing potential for community spread in other areas of the province, Nova Scotia Health has introduced new visitor restrictions across the province.
Effective immediately:
- TWO designated support people per day (one at a time) for:
- Palliative care and other patients nearing end of life*
- Patients receiving medical assistance in dying*
- Children under 18 admitted to hospital**
*to minimize the number of different individuals visiting Nova Scotia Health facilities, patients may identify a maximum of five designated support people; two support people per day from among these identified people will be permitted per day, one at a time.
** to minimize the number of different individuals visiting Nova Scotia facilities, families may identify up to two support people per week.
- ONE designated support person for:
- Labour and birth
- Children under 18 years in outpatient settings
- ONE designated support person per week will be permitted in the following circumstances, only for patients who need support to receive care due to physical, intellectual, cognitive or emotional conditions. The decision to allow a support person in these circumstances requires agreement between the patient and the care team.
- Hospital inpatients
- Outpatients, including patients arriving at the hospital for cancer care, emergency and ambulatory clinics, appointments or procedures
They say that whenever possible, their teams will assist in virtual visits with support persons.
Nova Scotia Health says these restrictions are necessary to protect patients, families and our heath care team.
Their release also stated having COVID-19 positive visitors unknowingly enter Nova Scotia Health facilities may lead to exposures that require health care staff to be absent from the workplace, potentially leading to critical service disruptions.
