Why no one under age 12 is allowed in this hospital system with Horry County offices
A major Myrtle Beach area hospital system will no longer allow visitors under 12 years old in its buildings.
Effective Tuesday, McLeod Health announced changes to its visitation policies in order to keep patients safe and healthy during an aggressive flu season. The temporary visitation restrictions follow an uptick in flu cases in the region, the hospital said in its announcement.
Under the new restrictions, patients may have no more than two visitors at a time, visitors must be immediate family members or primary caregivers and visitors must be 12 or older.
This flu season has brought more than 6,000 test-confirmed influenza cases, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Health’s Flu Watch. Of these cases, more than 700 have led to hospitalizations, and seven deaths have been recorded.
Influenza typically circulates during the fall and winter months, but DPH recommends observing infection control measures year-round. These include regular handwashing, staying home when sick, covering coughs and staying up to date on vaccinations to reduce infection risk.
So far, Conway Medical Center and Grand Strand Health have not announced flu-related changes to their visitation policies. Grand Strand Health last restricted visitation in November 2025 due to RSV season. The limitation barred visitors under the age of 12 from the hospitals.
