POTSDAM — St. Lawrence Health System has relaxed visitation guidelines at each of its hospital locations.

The change is effective immediately.

“In order to ensure a healthy and safe environment for patients, visitors, support persons, and staff, these new guidelines are subject to immediate change, in the event the risk for COVID-19 rises,” a statement from SLHS said.

• Visitor: An individual who is a guest of the patient. Family members are considered to be visitors as well, when not fulfilling the role of a support person.

• Support Person: An individual who is in a support role for a patient or who is legally responsible for making health care decisions on behalf of a patient. This may include family members, friends, or another individual who is there to support the patient.

• Hospitals across the System are permitting the following exceptions within its emergency department, medical/surgical, maternity, observation, and critical care units, as long as visitors and support persons are COVID-19 symptom free, and adhere to current safety guidelines and specific visiting hours (determined by individual hospitals):

• For pediatric, critical care, and inpatients not on COVID-19 precautions, one visitor may be present at a time (some exceptions apply).

• For patients in imminent end-of-life situations, one family member, clergy, and/or legal representative may be a support person. The patient and/or family/caregiver may designate up to two support people, and two support people may be present at a time.

• For patients for whom a support person has been determined to be essential to the care of the patient (including patients with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, and patients with cognitive impairments), two support people may be designated, and one support person may be present at a time.

• Labor and Delivery Units are allowing a patient to designate one support person to be present during labor, delivery, and the remaining duration of their stay based on clinical guidance and as medically appropriate. After delivery, one visitor at a time is permitted in the patient’s room.• Emergency Department patients may have one support person at a time for their entire Emergency stay. The patient or their legal representative will determine the identified essential support person. One support person will be able to accompany a patient in the Emergency Department. If the patient is admitted to the hospital from the Emergency Department, the support person is thereafter considered a “visitor” and must immediately adhere to current visitor restrictions.

All visitors and support persons should be greater than 18 years of age, except in very rare cases. Visitors and support persons will be screened for symptoms, asked to perform meticulous hand hygiene, wear a face mask or other required Personal Protective Equipment, and stay within close proximity of the patient’s room. Visitors and support persons who fail to comply with guidelines will be asked to leave the facility.

Hours of visitation are determined by each facility and are subject to change:

Canton-Potsdam Hospital

General visitation 2–6 p.m.

Critical Care visitation 4–6 p.m.

Support Persons are as described above.

Gouverneur Hospital

General visitation 2–6 p.m.

Support Persons are as described above.

Massena Hospital

General visitation 2–6 p.m.

Support Persons are as described above.