SARASOTA, Fla. — Sarasota Memorial Hospital said Friday it would activate a "No Visitors" policy, with limited exceptions, due to the rising COVID-19 cases across the state.
"We know how important visitor support is to our patients," said Sarasota Memorial Chief Medical Officer Dr. James Fiorica, "But these new restrictions are for everyone's protection."
Sarasota Memorial said the change is temporary and "intended to reduce the number of people in the hospital and protect patients and staff from rising cases of COVID-19 on the Suncoast.
The hospital said the limited exceptions would be for "extraordinary circumstances such as end-of-life care and will allow limited support persons for patients in Labor and Delivery/Mother-Baby units and for children admitted to the Pediatric Unit or Neonatal Intensive Care Units." According to the hospital, a support person can also be in a waiting area while patients are in surgery and certain other types of procedures or therapy."
Staff at the hospital will provide patients with iPads and technical assistance to help connect families and friends with patients.
