With the holiday season upon us, Nova Scotia Health is anticipating an increase in people looking to visit their loved ones in our facilities. With COVID-19 still active in our communities, along with other respiratory viruses, like influenza and RSV, we want to remind Nova Scotians about who is permitted to visit or accompany patients, and what is required when entering Nova Scotia Health facilities.

Essential care partners/support people are permitted to visit or accompany patients in the following situations:

• One Essential Care Partner/ Support Person at a time for:
• children and youth under 19 in outpatient settings
• hospital inpatients 
• patients in emergency departments
• prenatal visits, including ultrasounds
• ambulatory care clinics, appointments, or procedures
• patients with COVID-19 infection (additional measures may be required)  

• Two Essential Care Partners/ Support Persons at a time for:
• children and youth under 19 admitted to hospital, or having day surgery 
• patients in intensive care units and critically ill patients in emergency departments 
• patients in labour and giving birth

• Three Essential Care Partners/Support Persons at a time for: 
• palliative care and other patients nearing end of life  
• patients receiving medical assistance in dying (MAiD) 

There is no general visitation permitted within Nova Scotia Health facilities. Only people who have been identified by a patient as an essential care partner (support person, caregiver) can visit a patient in hospital. It is important to note that additional support people may be permitted for compassionate reasons. Please speak to the care team.  For anyone who is not an inpatient, including essential care, staff members and people seeking emergency care, masks must be worn at all times.

Nova Scotia Health provides care to the most vulnerable among us. People with compromised immune systems rely on us to ensure a safe and healthy place in which to receive treatment, rest and recover. Many patients are at higher risk for severe illness, hospitalization and death as a result of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses.

Nova Scotia Health is also committed to protecting the health of our teams. Health care workers take precautions every day to prevent getting sick or passing illness onto patients. General masking requirements create a healthier environment, reducing the strain on care teams, and the health care system as a whole.

Nova Scotia Health staff continue to work to keep all of us safe. Please be kind to one another and to the staff who are working hard to serve you. We appreciate your ongoing support and cooperation.

Source: Release