A jump in flu cases has led leaders with Mission Health to implement new visitor restrictions effective immediately.
According to information provided by Mission Health, all of their facilities, including Highlands-Cashiers Hospital, are implementing the Mission Health Visitor Restriction Policy, which means only partners and immediate family members older than 12 will be allowed in patient care areas.
“Our leadership team uses the percentage of influenza cases from NC Public Health department to determine when to implement visitor limitations and restrictions,” Mission Health Public and Media Relations Manager Nancy Lindell said. “The latest numbers indicated that our area was above six percent, which is our criteria for implementing restrictions.”
On Dec. 16, Mission Health instituted a visitor limitation policy that directed friends and family of patients to limit visitations based on recommendations from Mission Health’s infection prevention department. However, the number of reported flu cases has continued to increase statewide.
Mission Health officials urge members of the public who become ill with symptoms of the flu to contact their primary care provider, seek care at a walk-in clinic, conduct an online visit at Missionhealth.org/virtualclinic or visit a nearby urgent care facility. It’s important to avoid the emergency department unless there are signs and symptoms of severe illness, as it can expose the patient to other illnesses and expose others to illness as well.
For those who do visit a Mission Health facility, hand sanitizing stations are available at hospital entrances and throughout the buildings. People who have not yet received the influenza vaccine are urged to do so immediately and to ensure their children have been vaccinated.
There is no timetable for when the visitor restrictions may be lifted, but a decision will be made after the number of influenza cases begins to decline.