Mount Nittany Health on Friday put in place temporary visitation restrictions at its facilities as COVID-19 cases rise across the state and Centre County.
Until further notice, visitors of hospitalized patients at Mount Nittany Medical Center will not be permitted except in select circumstances.
One caregiver, if needed, may accompany patients of the emergency department, Mount Nittany Physician Group, Cancer Care Partnership and outpatient medical center locations. The caregiver may be asked to wait in an alternate place, such as their vehicle, depending on the circumstances.
Those with questions about inpatient visitation or outpatient visits at the medical Center and emergency department should call 814-231-7000. For questions about accompanying patients to a scheduled appointment at Mount Nittany Physician Group practices, call the practice directly.
“At Mount Nittany Health, we respect and understand the need for patients to have loved ones near to support the healing process,” Chief Medical Officer Dr. Nirmal Joshi said in a statement. “In this environment, however, it’s imperative that we limit the number of people in our facilities, including visitors. We strongly encourage everyone to utilize other means of communication, such as phone calls, video chats on cell phones or other mobile devices.
‘We are sensitive to the separation this restriction causes our patients and their loved ones, but we believe this measure of protection is essential at this time to keep everyone safe.”
Earlier this month, Geisinger implemented similar restrictions at its hospitals and practices. Both Geisinger and Mount Nittany put visitation restrictions in place in March during the initial rise in COVID-19 cases.
Pennsylvania has seen a record-setting surge in COVID-19 cases. The 5,531 new cases statewide reported by the Department of Health on Friday set a single-day high for the fourth consecutive day.
In Centre County, there were 131 new cases on Friday, its highest increase since Sept. 26.
As of Thursday, 18 COVID-positive patients were hospitalized at Mount Nittany Medical Center.
