Beaumont Health announced Wednesday it is expanding its COVID-19 units at its hospitals and making changes to its visitation policy amid a surge of cases and hospitalizations in Michigan.
The health system said it will be “carefully allowing” fully vaccinated individuals to visit their loved ones who are hospitalized with issues other than the COVID-19 virus. These visitors will need to show vaccination proof (a card).
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Note: Expectant moms, pediatric patients and hospice patients are allowed unvaccinated visitors.
“As we experience Michigan’s third COVID-19 surge, the Beaumont Health team will use everything we have learned while treating the most COVID-19 patients in Michigan to again provide the best care possible,” said John Fox, president and CEO of Beaumont Health. “Please continue to wear your mask, wash your hands, avoid large gatherings and practice social distancing while we work together to respond to the latest surge. Vaccinations are helping, but we are not there yet. We need to stay vigilant to protect our families, friends and communities. For now, the virus is moving faster than the vaccinations.”
Beaumont said the number of COVID-19-positive or suspected positive inpatients jumped at its hospitals from 128 on Feb. 28 to more than 500 patients on Tuesday, March 30. That is more than double the number of COVID-19 patients being treated at any other hospital system in Michigan, according to Michigan Department of Health and Human Services data.
The health system will also reconvene its “System Labor Pool,” which it uses to connect Beaumont Human Resources and clinical staff from each hospital in daily meetings “to provide situational awareness to monitor and provide additional staffing requests.”
Visitor restrictions at Beaumont
This latest surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations led Beaumont Health to reinstate visitor restrictions last week. The guidelines are listed on the Beaumont website, www.Beaumont.org. Masks are still required at all Beaumont facilities, for everyone, including those who have been fully vaccinated.
Beaumont now says fully vaccinated visitors -- one person per day -- are encouraged and welcomed at the bedside of patients who do not have or are not suspected of having COVID-19. This policy began Wednesday (March 31) at 8 a.m.
Visitors must have finished their vaccination schedule and be 14 days past their final dose.
Proof of vaccination requires:
- A completed, official Vaccination Record Card and photo identification
- A photo of a completed, official Vaccination Record Card is acceptable