Intermountain Healthcare is relaxing some of its guidelines for visitors now that the COVID-19 pandemic is slowing down.

The new guidelines will be in effect immediately.

“We’re proceeding with caution,” said Dr. Eddie Stenehjem, an Intermountain infectious disease physician. “Even in a period of lower COVID transmission, there is still risk of transmission of COVID to our vulnerable patients in our facilities. Visitors still need to follow some precautions to keep our patients safe.”

Some facilities, including Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital, may have stiffer restrictions according to patient vulnerability, Stenehjem said. COVID-19 pediatric patients will be allowed to have two designated visitors per day and will be asked to wear personal protective equipment provided by the facility.

Special guidelines have also been put in place for neonatal intensive care units. Children under the age of 5 will not be permitted to visit. Siblings ages 5-12 can visit if they are up to date on all recommended childhood vaccines, including COVID-19. Two visitors will be allowed at the bedside at one time.

For non-COVID patients in regular and surgical units as well as labor and delivery and all emergency rooms, the number of visitors at the bedside will be determined by the local unit care team and by the request of the patient. Siblings 5 years and older are now allowed in mom and baby units. Overnight visitors will be allowed at Intermountain hospitals at the discretion of the local care unit.

Patients with COVID-19 or suspected to have the virus will only be allowed to have one designated visitor at a time and only two total per day for adult patients.

Visitors are still asked to wear masks in common areas of the hospital, such as hallways, entrances, lobbies and areas where they may run into other visitors, patients and caregivers. Masks may be removed to eat in cafeterias and may be taken off in patient rooms when caregivers are not present.

If anyone has symptoms of COVID-19 or other active communicable diseases such as influenza or norovirus, they will not be allowed to visit any Intermountain hospitals or clinics. The same rules apply if the person has been in close contact with someone with COVID-19. Visitors who have been recently ill or exposed will not be permitted inside the facilities until five days after symptoms or exposure have occurred.

Visiting hours at the adult behavioral unit will be two visitors per patient for two hours in the evening at the discretion of the local unit. No overnight visitors are allowed. Behavioral health patients who test positive for COVID-19, even if they are asymptomatic, will be required to isolate in their room.

Intermountain has not placed any restrictions on the number of visitors at clinics and InstaCare locations. However, all visitors, including children ages 2 and older, are required to wear a mask in patient care areas.

If community transmission cases start to increase again, visitor guidelines will be adjusted. If the numbers continue to go down, visitor guidelines will return to normal per approval of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Utah Department of Health.

On Friday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, warned the public that the pandemic is still not over and cases will likely increase again, with the new omicron subvariant BA.2.

In an article published by ABC News, Fauci said while the subvariant doesn’t seem to be deadly, it may soon be the dominant strain.

“You can go ahead and continue to tiptoe towards normality, which is what we’re doing, but at the same time, be aware that you may have to reverse,” Fauci said in the interview.

Newsletter