NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- New York City Health + Hospitals will temporarily suspend most patient visitation as the omicron COVID-19 variant bears down on the area.
“The city’s public health system has kept its patients, staff, and community members’ best interests at the forefront of all decisions made throughout the pandemic, ensuring we continue to provide the safest environment for those in need of health care,” the hospital system said in a statement.
The new policy will go into effect Wednesday, Dec. 22.
Officials said the policy will have a few exceptions, including when the visit is “medically necessary” and “essential to the patient’s care.”
Exceptions also include in an end-of-life situation, when a person is in labor, an infant is in neonatal ICU or a pediatric patient.
Visitors for those exceptions are required to show proof of vaccination or have a negative COVID-19 test no more than 48 hours before their day of the visit.
All visitors with symptoms of COVID-19 will not be allowed in.
The change comes as New York State reported over 22,000 COVID-19 cases Tuesday, a drop from the day before, but still the third-most of the entire pandemic.
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