Rise in COVID-19 spurs visitor ban at Beaumont's Farmington Hills hospital

Beaumont Health has issued a temporary visitor ban at its Farmington Hills hospital due to a recent increase in COVID-19 cases, the Southfield-based system said Wednesday.

The barring of visitation starts Thursday at 8 a.m., according to a company press release. No one will be allowed in rooms of patients with pending or positive COVID-19 tests except for end-of-life or other extreme circumstance as approved by clinical leadership.

"Over the past few days, we have had multiple staff, patients and visitors test positive for COVID-19," Beaumont Health spokesman Mark Geary said Wednesday.  

"That’s why, out of an abundance of caution, we are temporarily restricting visitors at our Farmington Hills campus. In addition, we are in the process of reminding and educating our patients, visitors and staff about the importance of taking all appropriate precautions to limit the spread of the virus."

On March 15, Beaumont Health started banning visitors from all of its hospitals after it confirmed its first COVID-19 case at its Dearborn hospital. Beaumont restarted visitation on June 5.  

Michigan has experienced a plateau in the number of COVID-19 cases in the past couple of weeks.

Visits to non-COVID patients, or those not suspected of having the virus, will also be restricted at Beaumont's Farmington Hills facility with some exceptions. Those who qualify to visit under one of the exceptions will be screened for symptoms of respiratory infection, required to wear personal protective equipment and must stay in the patient's room.

One person may visit or accompany non-COVID-19 patients under the following circumstances:

• A patient is in serious or critical condition or hospice care.
• Pregnant women being admitted for delivery or presenting for prenatal care, ultrasound, genetic counseling and/or associated procedure, antenatal testing or another type of prenatal visit.
• The patient is 21 years of age or younger.
• Adult patients with cognitive, physical or mental disability requiring help with the provision of medical care or activities of daily living, speaking for the patient, and keeping patient safe.
• The individual being registered/admitted directly or post-surgically or being triaged/screened in emergency room. The support person should leave once the patient is settled in.
• The patient being discharged who needs a support person to learn how to care for them if this cannot be done via phone or video chat.
• A person requiring an outpatient test or procedure where a companion is required to safely travel to and from the appointment.
• People who must exercise power of attorney or court-appointed guardianship for a patient.

Two people may accompany a patient who is at the end of life or is anticipating death with a do-not-resuscitate order, planned withdrawal of life-sustaining interventions or evaluation for hospice care.

kbouffard@detroitnews.com