BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – Major changes are happening across the world as we try to protect ourselves from the coronavirus. Broward Health officials say they too are making changes, but they say it’s not just for their patients, but is also for the safety of the community.
To safe guard the community and patients, the hospital is limiting the number of visitors entering Broward Health hospitals beginning Thursday night.
“Really, we try to limit the number of visitors that come to the hospital out of an abundance of caution, and so, people who are sick really should not be coming to the hospital if they have cold or flu-like symptoms,” Dr. Joshua Lenchus, Regional Medical Officer at Broward Health, said.
CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST STORIES ON THE CORONAVIRUS.
Visitors are only permitted in the facility from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., and from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
“If we have a patient that’s in the hospital that has any kind of illness, we certainly don’t want to transmit that illness to somebody that may not have that when they come into the hospital or who may be more predisposed to having that illness when they get out of the hospital,” Lenchus said.
Each patient will be allowed one visitor per day, and it must be the same person during the morning and evening hours. Pediatric patients are permitted to have up to two visitors per day.
SIGN UP FOR WPLG CORONAVIRUS NEWSLETTER TO STAY INFORMED ON LATEST UPDATES.
“Like other epidemics that we’ve had, we’ll ride this out, but we feel incredibly prepared to do so,” Lenchus said.
There are now seven confirmed COVID-19 cases in Broward County, with patients ranging from the age of 61 to 75.
The now worldwide pandemic also prompted Princesses Cruises to pause its global operations of its 18 ships for two months, impacting voyages departing from March 12 to May 10.
As we have reported, there have also been several cancellations across Broward County where large gatherings of people are expected.
The city of Fort Lauderdale has canceled its St. Patrick’s Day parade, which was scheduled for this weekend.