To protect our patients, staff and the wider community amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Castlemaine Health has taken the difficult but necessary decision to prohibit non-essential visitors to the hospital from midnight tonight, 25 March. This includes Geroe Acute and Connolly Rehabilitation.
From midnight tonight, all visitors will only be able to enter and exit the building via Main Reception. Trained staff wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) will be checking the temperature of all visitors. Any person with a temperature above 37.5 degrees will not be permitted to enter the hospital.
Visitors will be asked a number of questions relating to travel and COVID-19. This information will assist with tracking in the case of an outbreak.
Please do not visit Castlemaine Health if you have:
- Returned from overseas in the last 14 days
- Been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19
- Fever or symptoms of acute respiratory infection.
Essential visitors will include:
- A parent, guardian or temporary carer of patient aged under 18 years
- A carer of a patient with a disability
- A spouse or support person of a pregnant patient.
Visitors will also be permitted to enter the hospital if they are:
- accompanying a patient to the Urgent Care Centre
- accompanying a patient to an outpatient appointment
- at the hospital for end of life support
- at the hospital for a care and support visit.
For all visits the following will apply:
- Maximum of 1 visit per patient per day
- No more than 2 visitors per visit who must be aged 18 years or over
- Visits limited to ten minutes only with patient (excluding time taken to enter and exit)
- No visitors who fit the criteria for self-isolation will be allowed (see list above)
- Hand hygiene and the principles of social distancing will be enforced. Alcohol hand rub will be available
We ask for your continued support as we work to protect the health and safety of not only your loved ones in our care, but also our staff and other visitors. Again, we would encourage you to make use of alternatives like FaceTime, texts and other social communications to ensure you maintain connections with your loved ones.
