That’s the new guidance from the Scottish Government in light of the emergence of the Omicron variant.
All visitors should complete a lateral flow test and, in addition, inpatients are now limited to two visitors each at a time. If the patient is on a ward where there is already an outbreak of covid, only essential visitors, who have tested negative will be allowed
Mark Kelly, interim director of nursing at NHS Dumfries and Galloway, said: “Visits from friends and family are so very important for patients’ welfare, especially over Christmas. With case numbers rising so rapidly across the country, we must now be extremely cautious. Hospital patients are among those most vulnerable within our communities, and protecting our patients and staff is vital over what is set to be a very challenging winter.
“The limit on visitor numbers also helps reduce risk, with a requirement now that visitors are limited to at most two people at one time, and with visitors to Galloway Community Hospital, cottage hospitals and Midpark asked to contact the nursing staff in advance of visiting.
“Combined with other precautions, like hand hygiene, wearing face coverings in indoor public settings and distancing, these new visiting precautions will give us the best possible chance of keeping patients and staff safe over Christmas and New Year. I encourage everyone to share the message about the new guidance to anyone they know who will be visiting someone in hospital over coming weeks.”
