Supplied by Sault Area Hospital…
Sault Ste. Marie, ON – In light of an increase in the number of patients presenting to the Emergency Department with Influenza-like illness, Sault Area Hospital (SAH) has now imposed visitor restrictions for the Emergency Department (ED).
Effective immediately, the Emergency Department will be closed to visitors until further notice. Exceptions may be permitted on compassionate grounds and at the discretion of staff.
Additionally, parents or guardians of children will be permitted to stay with their children who need to come to the ED.
Restricting visitation is necessary to help stem the spread of infection, protect the well-being of patients and staff, and support staff in delivering care in our Emergency Department. SAH apologizes to patients’ families and loved ones for the inconvenience.
Patients who are coming to Emergency or to access other medical services are asked to clean their hands often with the solution provided throughout the facility and to be respectful of any other direction or requests from staff. Please do not visit patients in other areas of the hospital if you are experiencing influenza-like symptoms.
The hospital will continue to monitor the situation closely, including an ongoing review of the visitor restriction status, and advise the public of any changes.
SAH thanks everyone for their cooperation. For more information about SAH, visit www.sah.on.ca