Visitor restrictions in southwest and west central Saskatchewan
The Saskatchewan Health Authority is asking the public for their support and cooperation in order to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus. As a result of an increased risk for COVID-19 in the south west and west central areas of Saskatchewan, visitation at Cypress Regional Hospital, as well as long-term care homes and personal care homes within close proximity to areas with an increased transmission of COVID-19, will be temporarily restricted.
At Cypress Regional Hospital, family members or support people will only be permitted for compassionate reasons. No other visitors are allowed into the facilities at this time and these enhanced restrictions will remain in place at Cypress Regional Hospital until further notice. Compassionate care reasons may include, but are not limited to, family or support persons during end-of-life care, major surgery, intensive care/ critical care or a care partner aiding in clinical care (at the discretion of the patient’s care provider). Detailed information about compassionate care can be found at saskatchewan.ca/covid19.
In the following long-term care homes, visitation will be restricted to outdoor visits and end of life care:
• Biggar
• Cabri
• Eastend
• Elrose
• Eston
• Foam Lake
• Gravelbourg
• Gull Lake
• Kerrobert
• Kindersley
• Lafleche
• Lestock
• Mankota
• Maple Creek
• Meadows in Swift Current
• Ponteix
• Raymore
• Rosetown
• Shaunavon
• Theodore
• Wynyard
Outdoor visitation will remain in place until further notice. End of life care includes palliative care, hospice care or those who are at high risk for loss of life as determined with the pa- tient, family and care team. Detailed information about visitation can be found at saskatchewan.ca/covid19.
Family members and support people who are permitted must be verified and undergo a health screening prior to entering the facility or home. This includes a temperature check and questionnaire. The visitor will be required to perform hand hygiene (hand washing and/or use of hand sanitizer) when entering and leaving the facility or home and when entering and leaving the patient’s or resident’s room. Visitors will be required to wear a medical grade mask while inside the facility or home and potentially additional personal protective equipment if required. Visitors are not permitted to wait in waiting rooms or other common areas.
Under no circumstances should you visit if you have respiratory, gastric or flu-like symptoms (e.g., common cold, diarrhea, vomiting) or if you have travelled outside of Canada in the past 14 days.
Virtual Visiting
We encourage families to consider other ways to stay connected with your family members or friends in our long-term care homes, such as phone calls or online means of communication. We encourage families to consider virtual visiting through electronic applications such as FaceTime, Skype and WhatsApp. We are asking families and visitors for their co-operation in follow- ing these restrictions.
COVID-19 Testing
It is important that anyone with symptoms of fever, cough, shortness of breath, headaches, aches and pains, sore throat, chills, runny nose or a loss of sense of taste or smell, should protect themselves and others, especially the vulnerable, by staying home, self-isolating and getting tested for COVID-19.
Testing is now universally available to anyone who requests it, regardless of whether they have symptoms or not. A referral for testing can be made by contacting HealthLine 811.
You can also take the online self-assessment at www.saskatchewan.ca/ COVID19.