Health PEI easing COVID-19 rules for hospital patients and visitors

The P.E.I. government has announced more easing of public health rules heading into the last weekend before Christmas and these ones are aimed at visitors to patients in the province's hospitals and health-care centres.

The latest changes in COVID-19 regulations follow Friday'srelaxation in restrictions imposed on restaurants, sporting organizations and religious communities after an outbreak in early December.

A provincial news release issued on Friday lists some of the changes for hospitals and health-care centres:

• Each patient can have up to two partners in care.
• Partners in care and regular visitors will be allowed to see a patient either indoors or outdoors, and there are no restrictions on visitation times.
• Patients can have a maximum of three people at their bedside at any point.
• Visitors and patients must remain two metres apart at all times.

The news release stresses that "visitors must abide by all infection prevention and control and personal protective equipment (PPE) policies."

The changes are effective immediately.

Separate instructions were issued Thursday applying to long-term care facilities, residents, partners in care and visitors.

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