Expanded visitation at Glens Falls Hospital starts Friday

GLENS FALLS, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Starting Friday, rules for visitation are changing at Glens Falls Hospital.

Visitation will be expanded for hospital inpatients in a way that the hospital says will maintain safety and minimize opportunities for COVID to spread. Take a look at the new rules:

• All visitors must bring and wear a mask
• Visiting hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day
• Two visitors at a time per patient
  • Visitors can leave and return, or be replaced by a someone else
• Visitors must be 12+
• Enter only through the west entrance for COVID expsosure screening
• No eating or drinking in patient rooms
• One visitor permitted to accompany a patient being discharged outside of visiting hours

Delivering mothers may have a designated spouse or support person who is welcome any time during the hospital stay. Two additional labor support people are also allowed during delivery, but they are treated as regular visitors subject to the rules above once it ends.

Also, the expansion allows one visitor (or two for pediatric patients) in the emergency department, outpatient testing areas, and physician offices for as long as the patient is hospitalized, even outside of visiting hours.

Patients admitted for a same-day surgery or procedure may have one visitor from admission through discharge. During treatment, visitors must stay in the waiting area, Au Bon Pain, or the cafeteria, now open to visitors and staff.

The hospital says they'll kick out visitors who don't follow the rules. Also, some patients might not be able to have visitors, depending on specific conditions or safety requirements.