By Joe Johnson
As COVID cases, spurred by the delta variant, continue to rise around Athens-Clarke County and throughout the state of Georgia, Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center on Friday announced it was immediately limiting hospital visitors to reduce the amount of non-essential contact between the public, patients and staff.
Non-COVID positive patients will be allowed only two designated visitors per hospital stay. All visitors must pass the health screening and wear a mask at all times when in the facility. Masks must cover a person’s nose and mouth. Visiting hours, unless listed otherwise, are from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. No visitors under the age of 16 are allowed.
“We know how important visitation can be for our patients and their loved one, but safety remains our top priority,” said Heather Alexander, director of Quality and Patient Experience for Piedmont Athens Regional. “We will continue our screening procedures and ask all visitors to practice the 3Ws- wear a mask, wash their hands, and watch their distance.”
Piedmont Athens encourages people to stay in close contact with friends or family admitted to the hospital through virtual means such as Skype, FaceTime, or Zoom.
For more information on visitation at Piedmont Athens Regional, visit www.piedmont.org.