Community Health Network limiting visitor access to hospitals over coronavirus concerns

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Community Health Network announced Wednesday it is limiting access to all of its hospital sites beginning Thursday.

The move is being considered a “preventative measure” to protect “patients, caregivers and visitors” from the spread of the coronavirus.

Specific entry points at Community Hospital South, Community Hospital North, Community Hospital East, Community Heart and Vascular Hospital, Community Behavioral Health, Community Howard Regional Health, and Community Hospital Anderson will be established.

Visitors of the hospitals must be 18 years or older. Children under 18 will only be permitted in the hospital if they are a patient.

Before visitors enter the specific entry points, they will be screened.

Visitors will be asked the following questions:

• Do you have fever AND signs/symptoms of lower respiratory infection (cough/shortness of breath)?
• Have you had close contact with a laboratory-confirmed novel coronavirus (COVID-19) patient within the last 14 days?
• Have you recently traveled to/from China, Iran, Italy, South Korea?
• Have you been on a cruise in the past 14 days?

Anyone who answers “NO” to these questions will be given a wristband showing they’ve been screened.

If a visitor answers “YES” to any of the above questions, they will not be given access to the hospital.

If you are concerned you have been exposed to COVID-19 or think you have acquired the virus, you are asked to call 317-621-5500 in Indianapolis, 765-298-4240 in Anderson and 765-776-3990 in Kokomo.