CHCC updates visiting guidelines

Effective immediately, the Commonwealth Health Center’s visiting hours are from 12pm to 8pm, unless otherwise noted, and a maximum of two visitors are allowed at a time.

The Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. said in a news release yesterday that, while the number of COVID-19 cases in the CNMI remains low, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends continued measures to diminish the effects of transmission, hence the restricted visiting hours.

The listed specialty areas have the following visiting hours and guidelines:

– Emergency Department: Visitation remains flexible and at the discretion of the ED provider. One support person may be with the patient during their course of stay.

– Intensive Care Unit: 9am–11am, 12pm–8pm

– Neonatal ICU: 9am–11am, 3pm–7pm. Only parents of the neonate are allowed.

– Psychiatric Unit: 2pm–3pm,7pm–8pm; Only family members or friends as requested by the patient are allowed.

All visitors must use face masks properly, covering both the mouth and nose.

Screenings for symptoms will continue, and visitors/caregivers who report symptoms will be restricted from visiting. Caregivers staying with the patient must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or receive a negative result from a COVID-19 antigen test before entering the units.

CHCC is committed to providing a safe environment for all patient and visitors, and will continue to facilitate safe visitation practices with renewed efforts to improve patient and family engagement. By extending visitation hours and enforcing revised guidelines, patients and their families benefit from overall well-being while ensuring that the delivery of medical services is not interrupted.

Residents of the CNMI who test positive for COVID-19 on a self-administered test may be eligible for treatment by reporting their positive test result online at www.staysafecnmi.com/self-reporting within five days of the test result date. Residents requesting COVID-19 treatment should fill out the medical questionnaire in the form to get assessed as soon as possible. Reporting a positive test result online also allows residents to obtain a certificate of quarantine completion, which employers/individuals may use as documentation of a positive test result. (PR)