Expanded Visitation Restrictions March 24, 2020

Carteret Health Care has instituted mandatory visitor restrictions to further limit visitors at all Carteret Health Care facilities to help protect our community, patients, staff, and providers. These restrictions have been expanded as part of Carteret Health Care’s COVID-19 response.

Effective 7 AM Tuesday, March 24, no visitors will be allowed in the hospital until further notice with the following limited exceptions:

• Emergency Department patients may have 1 support person with unit approval
• Patients under the age of 18 may have one parent or guardian.
• Women in the Birthing Center may have one support partner
• Patients scheduled for a surgery or procedure may have one support person
• End of Life patients will be given special circumstances
• Patients requiring special assistance such as in the Cancer Center

All support persons must be healthy adults and pass a health screening.

Virtual video and phone communication is encouraged.

All Carteret Health Care accesses are secure. To enter the hospital, use the main lobby and emergency department. The main lobby will be open from 6AM until 7 PM. Anyone who enters Carteret Health Care will be screened for respiratory signs and symptoms.

Carteret Health Care is also limiting outpatient services to essential services only. The Sleep Lab is closed until further notice. Radiology, Laboratory and Cardiopulmonary will be postponing routine or maintenance appointments that are not clinically necessary.

Other business office or medical record needs should be handled by calling or on-line, www.carterethealth.org. Should you have questions about a specific appointment, please contact the department for clarification.

These limitations are temporary and will be lifted as soon as safely possible. Carteret Health Care's team continues to closely monitor and apply CDC guidance for healthcare settings and all North Carolina Department of State Health Services and the Carteret County Health Department as well as Carteret County Emergency Management recommendations for preparedness activities.

The most important thing you can do is to keep yourself and family safe by:

Practicing good hand hygiene – washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Avoiding close contact with people who are sick or any unnecessary contact.
Avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unsanitized hands.
If you feel sick with fever, cough or breathing difficulty, stay home and avoid contact with others. Should you need medical care, call ahead before going to the doctor’s office, Emergency Room or Urgent Care and share your symptoms. Sick individuals should wear a facemask when you are around other people, cover your coughs and sneezes. Clean your hands often. Clean high-touch surfaces frequently.

Additional information can be found on the CDC website: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov, the NCDHHS Coronavirus website at: https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/public-health/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-response-north-carolina or at https://www.carterethealth.org/.