Beginning Monday, Boone Hospital Center will close its COVID-19 drive-thru testing location temporarily and change its no-visitor policy to allow patients not positive for COVID-19 one visitor per day, according to a news release.
The change in visitor policy is due to improvements in local positivity rate. The drive-thru closing is because of anticipated inclement weather.
Those who visit patients must be older than 16, wear a mask and be screened before entry.
Exceptions allowing two visitors will be made for certain patients, such as those at the end of their life, newborn and neonatal intensive care patients and obstetric patients.
The no-visitor policy, which was implemented in November due to spikes in COVID-19 positivity and hospitalization rates, will remain in place for patients who are positive for COVID-19.
Boone Hospital Center will temporarily close its drive-thru COVID-19 testing site due to forecasted below-freezing temperatures Feb. 8 through Feb. 15.
Patients in need of COVID-19 testing can go to Boone Laboratory Health Services inside Broadway Medical Plaza 1, open from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, located across from the main hospital and drive-thru location.
The hospital’s Incident Command Center will continue to monitor data trends and positivity rates in order to determine if any changes to the visitor policy are necessary.
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