Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) has updated guidelines for visitors at its Family Birth and Newborn Centers because of concerns about COVID-19 exposure from individuals with no symptoms, including patients and visitors, and because of an awareness of regional relocation of patients out of high-risk New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut areas, despite CDC travel restrictions.

The guidelines, which went into effect March 30 include:

Triage - To reduce Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) use during the short time of an encounter in rooms with close proximity, no visits will be permitted in the Triage Area.

Unless delivery appears imminent, anyone who accompanies patients to the hospital will be asked to wait in his or her car, and not the waiting room, or depart from the campus and return to pick up the patient when he or she is discharged.

One support person will be permitted to accompany the patient if she is admitted for delivery.

Perinatal-Antepartum Units - Visits to Perinatal Units are not permitted, except under unusual circumstances approved by unit leadership.

Labor and Delivery, Mother-Baby Units - Visits are permitted on Labor and Delivery and Mother-Baby Units with the following guidance:

- Completion of health-screening procedures will be done for patients and visitors before entering the unit. Patients will continue to receive medical and obstetrical care.

Visitors who have a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 or who meet criteria for suspected COVID-19 will be prohibited from entering the Family Birth and Newborn Centers.

Additional restrictions prohibiting visitors from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and other areas as designated by the CDC or other governing bodies will be imposed until further notice. Patients from these regions may have a visitor who has not been in these high-risk areas. Photo ID as proof of address may be requested.

Suspected COVID-19 patients for the purpose of maternal-newborn care at LVHN are defined as:

- COVID-19 testing pending

- High-risk exposure to someone with confirmed COVID-19 (less than 6 feet for more than two minutes)

- Symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 infection, including fever, cough and shortness of breath

- Under quarantine for travel, including international travel or relocation from greater New York City area inclusive of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut and other areas as designated by the CDC or other governing bodies (14 days required)

- Visitors will undergo daily monitoring during the stay in the hospital, including temperature and assessment of symptoms.

- Visitors will bring their own mask (a clean, dry, freshly laundered cloth mask is acceptable) to be worn at all times in the hospital.

- One person may remain through the entire stay. If the person departs the hospital, he or she may not return.

- Visitors will remain in the patient room for the entirety of the stay except to visit a newborn admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Meals can be provided for visitors by patient food services.

- If the mother is a suspected or confirmed COVID-19, patient and separation with newborn is performed as recommended by CDC. The visitor cannot move between the mother’s isolation room and the newborn’s isolation room-nursery. Ideally, a visitor for the mother in Labor and Delivery becomes the newborn visitor and no longer visits the mother.

A new visitor for the mother is not advised. If the mother and newborn are co-located in one room, the visitor stays in the room with both of them, primarily to provide newborn care.

- Visitors who do not or cannot adhere to these rules will be asked to leave the premises for the protection of a high-risk population. Another visitor will not be allowed to replace him or her.

Patients will be required to wear masks, preferably their own brought from home, including freshly-washed cloth masks. If he or she does not bring a mask, one will be provided.

While staff at LVHN are using universal PPE, contamination of physical surfaces can occur by patients and visitors with no symptoms, which is prompting the requirement of wearing masks.