Providence Southwest relaxes visitation guidelines

Providence Southwest hospitals are now allowing limited in-person visits starting tomorrow, Feb 24, 8 a.m.

In a statement released by Providence Southwest Washington, the decrease in COVID-19 patients in its St. Peter and Centralia hospitals from 150 in the previous weeks to 50 today has allowed them to relax their restrictions and allow visitors to come in.

Critical care, medical, surgical, and continuous-observation patients who do not have COVID-19 are allowed two visitors between 10 a.m. to noon and 4 to 6 p.m., while Providence Medical Group Patients visiting the hospitals may bring along one companion.

“Balancing patient and caregiver safety with the importance of engaging loved ones in the healing process, has been significant throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Providence in its statement.

Thurston County Public Health and Social Services reports on its website that from Feb. 16 to 22 seven of the new 784 COVID 19 cases have been hospitalized, with only one death in the past week.

Providence also credits having sufficient stock of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as a factor in its policy changes.

“In all cases, visitors will only be permitted into the hospital if they screen negative for COVID-19 symptoms, and wear a hospital-issued or medical-grade mask at all times,” they asserted.

More information about Providence Southwest’s visitation guidelines is available here.

MultiCare continues to allow visitors

Meanwhile,  MultiCare Capital Medical Center (MCCMC) hasn't updated its visitor policies since Dec. 14, 2021, but already allowed visitors for its patients since then.

"We’ve averaged about a half dozen COVID patients at MultiCare Capital Medical Center over the last week," said  MCCMC Chief Communications Officer Marce Edwards.

The allowed number of visitors for MCMCC's patients varies from case to case, from one for adult patients, both parents for pediatric patients, to up to four for end-of-life cases.

Click here to learn more about MCCMC's visitor regulations.