It comes after it saw higher than the recommended visitor numbers at the weekend, including many children.
“This places our patients, staff and the community at greater risk,” ERH executive director of nursing June Dyson said.
As of yesterday, only essential visitation will be allowed at ERH and the hospital is asking for common sense when considering if it is necessary to visit a patient.
Visiting hours have also been reduced to between 4pm and 8pm each day with only one person at a time permitted per patient, and children aged 16 and under will not be permitted to visit.
There will be further restrictions on visiting patients in isolation and families are advised to check with the nurse in charge before visiting.
Families with special circumstances are advised to contact the nurse in charge before visiting to discuss their specific needs.
Yesterday, ERH put all volunteer services on hold until further notice and visitor restriction tightened and implemented across all ERH services, including Glanville Village Aged Care.
The hospital also confirmed a 44-year-old man who presented to its emergency department last week tested positive for coronavirus.
“The male who tested positive followed all protocols on his return from overseas and is now self-isolating in the community as his symptoms are mild and not requiring hospitalisation. However, monitoring is in place,” Ms Dyson said.
“We can advise that ERH is strictly adhering to the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services’ criteria and guidelines for screening and testing of people who present to our ED wanting to be checked.
“These guidelines are being followed by all health services across Victoria and these guidelines are being regularly updated by the department as more information comes to hand.
“We will continue to do our utmost to provide safe care to our patients and protect our workforce and the community during this time of uncertainty. We have all necessary plans in place to support an increase in positive cases, and will continue to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of COVID-19.”
Yesterday Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos announced new statewide restrictions on patient visitation at public and private hospitals to come into effect at midnight yesterday.
Visits to a patient are limited to two hours at a time and each patient can have no more than two visitors per day.
“We need to keep strictly to these restrictions around the number of visitors so we can keep vulnerable patients in our hospitals safe, as well as those visitors,” Ms Mikakos said.
“People who are unwell should definitely not be visiting anyone in hospital.”
There will be exemptions for palliative care and maternity patients.
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