Visitor guidelines
Visitor guidelines
Out of an abundance of caution for the safety of all of our patients, visitors and health care workers; we do still require masks be worn at all our locations, regardless of vaccination status.
To learn more about about infection control within health care settings, visit the CDC's Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel page.
You can also learn more about the CDC recommendations for fully-vaccinated individuals and health care environment exceptions.
Hospital and clinic visitor guidelines
As of September 15, 2021, visitor status is yellow.
As we continue to monitor the spread of COVID-19, the visitor guidelines will be updated as needed to help keep patients, staff and you safe. Check back often for the most current guidelines. More information and any exceptions to these updated guidelines are explained below.
General guidelines
Visitors must follow these general guidelines in all settings:
- You will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms and must pass the screening in order to be allowed to visit or accompany a patient.
- If you leave the building, you must show your screening sticker and you may be asked to be re-screened to re-enter.
- You must wear a mask (regardless of vaccination status), visitor badge, and screening sticker at all times.
- You may be asked to wear additional personal protective equipment (PPE).
- You must follow all additional protocols requested by staff to include but not limited to: hand hygiene, physical distancing, stepping outside room or waiting room as needed and anything else requested by staff. If the waiting room is full, visitors may be asked to wait outside the building.
- Hand sanitizer is located at all building entrances and on patient care units.
- Children ages 5-17, when allowed to visit, must be from the same household as the patient.
- No children under age 5 may visit with some exceptions (check with your location). Compassionate care exceptions may apply.
These are the guidelines for visitors while in YELLOW status:
Yellow status:
- Visitors are not allowed, except in the following circumstances:
- Compassionate care exceptions (see compassionate care exceptions accordion below)
- Patients who require assistance due to underlying impairment or disability
- Patients under the age of 18
- Laboring mothers
- One support person is allowed per maternal patient stay. This includes triage, labor, delivery and post-partum areas.
- Ante-partum patients may have one visitor. This visitor must stay in the room the entire time and may not come and go from the hospital.
- When infection prevention clearance criteria have been met
Additional protocols as requested by staff must be followed.
Yellow status:
Compassionate care exceptions may be used for patients who:
- are actively dying
- have a sudden decline in medical condition
- are having surgery
Case-by-case exceptions are made with the clinical team, patient care manager, house supervisor or all. Consideration may be given to patients who have extended length of stays.
Yellow status:
Patients may have one clergy or community clergy member visitor in addition to other visitors listed in these exceptions.
Yellow status:
From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., one visitor for each patient will be allowed each day. Any variations to the following list of exceptions must be approved by the supervisor. Exceptions may include assisting patients with an underlying impairment or disability.
- Adult patients: One visitor is allowed before a patient’s surgery and can return after the surgery.
- The visitor can wait in the waiting room or the patient’s room (if available).
- If the waiting room is full, the visitor may be asked to wait outside the building.
- Pediatric patients: Two parents or legal guardians for each patient will be allowed in the room and may stay overnight in accordance with usual policy.
Yellow status:
- Adult patients: One visitor is allowed before a patient’s surgery and can return after the surgery.
- The visitor can wait in the waiting room or the patient’s room (if available).
- Pediatric patients: Two parents or legal guardians may visit before and after surgery.
- The parents or legal guardians can wait in the waiting room or the patient’s room (if available).
If the waiting room is full, visitors may be asked to wait outside the building.
Yellow status:
- Adult patients: One visitor for each patient is allowed.
- Pediatric patients: Two parents or legal guardians may be with the child.
If the waiting room is full, visitors may be asked to wait outside the building.
Yellow status:
- One support person is allowed per patient. This includes triage, labor and delivery.
- In addition to one support person, trained doulas will be permitted for support during labor and delivery
- Newborns: No visitors other than parents, guardians, primary caretakers or intended parents in surrogate birth.
Also see The Mother Baby Center's visiting guidelines and frequently asked questions.
Yellow status:
No visitors are allowed for patients receiving mental health care. The following are the exceptions to this guideline as conditions allow:
- Child and adolescent patients: Two parents or legal guardians will be allowed.
- Patients who require help due to an impairment or disability: One legal guardian will be allowed.
Yellow status:
A caregiver (a family or support person) may need to help when a patient is ready to go home. Discharge planning is important to maintain patient safety.
- One visitor for each patient is allowed to help with the discharge process.
- The patient care manager or designee can help decide which caregiver can visit and when is the best time for the visit.
- If family or support person is unable to be physically present, virtual options are available.
- In most cases, discharge planning happens on the day the patient is going home.
Yellow status:
- Patients under age 18 may have one parent or legal guardian accompany them. The visitor must pass the COVID-19 symptom screening.
- Adult patients may have one caretaker accompany them. The visitor must pass the COVID-19 symptom screening.
To protect the health of patients and staff, patients are encouraged to come without a visitor if able.
For family and friends
Here are some additional options for staying connected with a family member or friend when they are in the hospital:
- Take advantage of virtual communication tools as explained in How to Contact a Patient in the Hospital.
- Designate a family spokesperson to serve as the link between the person in the hospital, health care providers, and family, friends and loved ones.
- Ask if the family spokesperson can call the hospital each day for an update to pass along. Ask the hospital what time would be best for a daily phone call.
- Leave the family spokesperson's phone number with the hospital staff in the event your family member or friend has a change in condition.
- Consider using internet-based social media applications like CaringBridge or Facebook to provide timely updates to others.
Allina Health’s patient video conferencing service, Care to Connect, allows you to connect remotely with your family member or friend via video if they don’t have or are unable to use their own internet-enabled device.