COVID surge causes this Horry County hospital to increase restrictions. What to know
Loosened coronavirus restrictions at some Horry County hospitals were short-lived.
The most recent surge in COVID-19 cases has caused some area hospital systems to backtrack on their progression toward pre-pandemic safety precautions. Conway Medical Center (CMC) announced Monday the return of some stricter precautions including mask requirements for anyone inside the hospital building and limiting visitors for most situations.
Horry County’s cases and hospitalizations have skyrocketed in recent weeks, according to data from the state health department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hospitalizations, largely among the unvaccinated population, have strained hospital resources and sparked concern for local doctors and emergency managers.
CMC has 48 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 as of Monday, including 18 in the intensive care unit and eight on a ventilator, according to hospital spokesperson Allyson Floyd. Like others in the area, the hospital had a break from facing an influx of COVID-19 patients earlier in the summer, with admitted patients in the low single digits at the end of June.
“Truly this is gut-wrenching,” Dr. Paul Richardson, Chief Medical Officer, told The Sun News earlier this month when the hospital again installed triage tents for coronavirus patients. “We do not want to do this, we feel like it is necessary.”
The hospital isn’t rescheduling elective surgeries and procedures, Floyd said, but the staff is monitoring the situation daily.
The increased restrictions announced Monday include:
- Limiting visiting hours from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- No visitors under the age of 16 with the exception of end-of life situations.
- Screening questions for visitors upon entry, and a mask requirement for everyone in the building.
- Closing of the main hospital entrance. Only three entrances will be open with limited hours: North Tower Entrance and Patient Services Entrance.
- The emergency department entrance will only be available to emergency patients.
- One visitor per day in the inpatient and labor and delivery units. If a visitor stays overnight with the patients, one switch per day is allowed.
- Patients with outpatient procedures are allowed one visitor.
- Pediatric patients are allowed two visitors.
- No visitors allowed in the emergency department except for elderly patients who need assistance, pediatric patients or end-of-life situations.
- No visitors are allowed for COVID-positive patients except for end-of-life situations.
This story was originally published August 23, 2021 at 2:17 PM.
