FARMINGTON — Franklin Memorial Hospital officials Monday said they will begin instituting temporary visitor restrictions effective Tuesday, March 17, in response to the coronavirus.

The new guidelines for visitors include:

  • Visiting hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Limit of one visitor per patient for both inpatient and outpatient care. This includes all hospital, ambulatory, clinic appointments, and emergency department visits.
  • No visitor under the age of 18 will be permitted.
  • Care teams will make exceptions for end-of-life care and will allow two parents or guardians for a pediatric patient.

Officials said the main entrance will serve as the single point of entry at the hospital. All visitors will be screened upon entering any FMH facility. A care team member will be at each entrance to ask visitors a series of screening questions, including whether they have a fever, a new cough in the past 14 days, shortness of breath, a sore throat or a runny nose. Individuals will also be asked if they have been in close proximity with someone who is currently sick with COVID-19 or any other respiratory illness within the past 14 days. Sick individuals may be asked to leave or redirected to an appropriate point of care.

“We recognize that these new policies have an impact on the everyday lives of our patients, their families, our staff and the larger community,” FMH President Trampas Hutches stated in a statement issued Monday. “Our priority now is slowing the spread of this virus and doing everything to care for those most affected by it as safely as possible.”


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.