Baptist Health announces temporary restrictions on visitors

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- As concerns mount over the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus nationwide, Louisville-area hospitals and long-term care centers are announcing restrictions to protect patients.

According to a news release, Baptist Health is enacting restrictions on patient access in order to protect its hospitals from the virus. Patients in intensive care units, telemetry and medical/surgical patients will be limited to two visitors at a time. Those visitors must be members of the patient's immediate family.

Clergy will be allowed visits, but only for patients in palliative, emergent and hospice care.

Restrictions for patients in the maternity and NICU units will be decided by individual hospitals and care centers.

Anyone experiencing fever, runny nose, body aches or respiratory symptoms should not visit.

Three area hospitals are under the Baptist Health family, including Baptist Health Louisville, Baptist Health La Grange and Baptist Health Floyd, in New Albany, Indiana.