Hospitals In Sarasota, Manatee Counties Update Visitor Policies

SARASOTA, FL — In response to the surge in COVID-19 cases in the state, Sarasota Memorial Hospital updated its visitor policy July 27. The hospital reduced its visiting hours to noon to 6 p.m. daily and limited the number of visitors each patient can have.

Now, other hospitals in the region are following suit by adopting stricter visitation policies.

These changes come after new cases increased tenfold in Sarasota and Manatee counties over the past month.

From July 23-29, 1,552 new coronavirus cases were reported in Manatee County, as well as a new case positivity rate of 17.5 percent, according to the Florida Department of Health's COVID-19 Weekly Situation Report. Just 139 cases and a 3.5 percent positivity rate were reported in the county four weeks earlier.

In Sarasota County, 1,412 new coronavirus cases, as well as a new case positivity rate of 13.3 percent, was reported July 23-29. Four weeks prior to that, just 141 cases and a 3.5 percent positivity rate were reported in the county for the week of June 25 to July 1, according to state data.

The Doctors Hospital of Sarasota announced new temporary visitor guidelines Tuesday. While visiting hours remain the same – 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., daily – each patient will now only be allowed to have one adult visitor each day. COVID-19 patients and those suspected of having coronavirus won’t be allowed any visitors.

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As of Tuesday, Manatee Memorial Hospital and Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, both owned by Universal Health Services, have tightened their visitation policies.

“As part of our continuing efforts to keep our staff, patients and community safe amid the current COVID-19 surge, visitors are not allowed in the inpatient nursing units and the emergency department until further notice. We will continue to closely monitor COVID-19 trends and we hope to again relax this temporary restriction as soon as we can safely allow visitation,” the medical facilities wrote on their COVID-19 pages.

Exceptions to this new no-visitor policy include:

• patients in end-of-life care.
• Labor & Delivery Unit and Mother-Baby Unit patients, who may have one support person with them.
• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit patients, who may have one visitor each day.
• Patients in surgical, procedural and therapy departments, who may have one support person with them.

Instead of in-person visitation, Manatee Memorial encourages friends and family to connect with patients using FaceTime, Zoom or Skype, or by sending email notes through the hospital’s ePatient Note Service.

Blake Medical Center also updated its visitation policy during this COVID-19 surge. The new rules went into effect Monday.

Visitor hours are being restricted to noon to 6 p.m. daily with only one adult visitor allowed during that time. Patients who are undergoing procedures with sedation may have one visitor who remains in a designated waiting area. Emergency Room patients are also allowed one visitor.

Patients with COVID-19 or who are suspected of having coronavirus can’t have any visitors, the medical center said.

Exceptions must be approved by the hospital administrator on call or administration and will be considered in specific circumstances, including patients in end-of-life care.