Northwestern Medicine restricts visitors to protect against coronavirus

Northwestern Medicine is placing tight restrictions on hospital visitors and rescheduling elective surgeries to help protect against the rapidly spreading coronavirus.

The new policy limits all inpatients to one adult visitor across the 10-hospital system. All outpatient, surgical and physician clinic patients are allowed only one companion or visitor who must be at least 12 years old.

Northwestern Medicine joins a growing list of health systems that have implemented similar safety measures to try to reduce the risk of infection among patients and employees.

Edward-Elmhurst Health announced Tuesday all visitors and patients will be screened for fevers before entering Edward Hospital in Naperville, Elmhurst Hospital and its other sites.

Anyone with a temperature greater than 100 degrees will be asked to return home and contact their physician. Anyone with a fever and respiratory symptoms will be asked to put on a mask, return to their car and proceed to the emergency department.

Edward-Elmhurst Health also is barring visitors younger than 18 and closing cardiac rehabilitation centers. No visitors will be allowed in adult inpatient units, expect in critically ill or end-of-life cases.

Starting Wednesday, the Edward-Elmhurst Walk-In Clinic in Aurora will remain closed until further notice.

Advocate Aurora Health has banned visitors in inpatient areas with few exceptions. All visitors who meet certain exclusion criteria must pass a health screening at a central hospital checkpoint.

Northwestern Medicine also will allow for exceptions in compassionate care situations at the discretion of the patient's doctor.

Hospitals will still accommodate parents of young children. Patients who are being treated in neonatal intensive care units, pediatric inpatient units and pediatric emergency departments can have two visitors.

Northwestern Medicine has set up a COVID-19 hotline - (312) 47-COVID - to answer patient questions.

The policy also forbids visitors for anyone who's been diagnosed with the coronavirus or who's being tested for COVID-19. The infection prevention department has to sign off on exceptions.

In the suburbs, the visitors restrictions apply to Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield; McHenry Hospital in Lake Forest Hospital; Delnor Hospital in Geneva; Huntley Hospital; Woodstock Hospital; and Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital in Wheaton.