KHSC revises visiting hours, mask requirements in COVID step

Most areas of Kingston Health Sciences Centre will not require that masks be worn and physical distancing observed starting Wednesday, as it moves into the second phase of its COVID-19 step-down plan, KHSC announced Wednesday in a news release.

Masks, however, will still be required in the emergency department, children's outpatient clinic and urgent care centre. Patients with respiratory symptoms will also be required to wear a mask.

Masks will be strongly recommended for those providing care to patients at higher risk of experiencing serious outcomes from COVID-19 infection, such as Kidd 9 Oncology, NICU, Burr 3 Dialysis Unit and Oncology clinics.

KHSC will support those who decide to wear masks, the release stated, and staff are expected to put on a mask when caring for a patient wearing one. Sometimes staff will ask a patient to don one for an assessment.

Visiting hours will be returning to the 24 hours a day, seven days a week format at Kingston General Hospital. Only two visitors will be allowed to be bedside at the same time, as was the case before.

Visitors and caregivers exhibiting infectious symptoms must postpone their visits, though, and symptomatic staff mustn't come in to work.

"The decision to move ahead with this next phase of the COVID-19 step-down plan has been informed by ongoing analysis of provincial and regional data," Dr. Gerald Evans, medical director of Infection Prevention and Control, stated in the release.

"This data shows very low levels of outbreak numbers, wastewater detection of SARS-CoV-2, and COVID-19 test positivity in southeastern Ontario. Levels this low are unprecedented in our region given there are no longer any community public health mandates in place."

The chances of the transmission of COVID have dropped substantially as of late.

"High rates of hybrid immunity to COVID-19, through combined natural infection and immunization, has also greatly helped reduce severity of symptoms for most individuals," Evans stated.

"In fact, last week we achieved a significant COVID-19 milestone. For the first time in several years, there were no active COVID-19 inpatient cases at the KGH or (Hotel Dieu Hospital) sites five consecutive days."

The first phase of the step-down plan took place in April.

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