IVCH updates restrictions due to Coronavirus

Staff
Posted 3/24/20

PERU - As the number of coronavirus cases in Illinois continues to increase, Illinois Valley Community Hospital in Peru is restricting public access to its main building to just one entrance.

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IVCH updates restrictions due to Coronavirus

Posted

PERU - As the number of coronavirus cases in Illinois continues to increase, Illinois Valley Community Hospital in Peru is restricting public access to its main building to just one entrance: the door on the north side of the hospital off 6th Street, next to the emergency department door. All other hospital entrances are closed to the public.

Everyone entering IVCH through the 6th Street door will be screened by a nurse at the door and have their temperature taken. Patients who have routine respiratory symptoms will be told to self-quarantine at home. Patients requiring emergency care and/or critical lab and X-ray testing will be allowed to enter the hospital and given further instructions.

Family members bringing non-critical patients to IVCH to be admitted will be encouraged to return home where they will receive telephone updates from IVCH staff members.

No visitors

IVCH also clarified the “no visitors” policy it announced last week. The only patients who are allowed to have someone in their rooms with them are:

  • Women in labor, who may choose one person to be with them for their entire stay.
  • Pediatric patients and patients with disabilities, who may have a parent or legal guardian stay with them.
  • Critically ill patients and surgery patients, who may have someone stay with them that is authorized to make medical decisions.
  • No other visitors are allowed.
  • Decisions regarding visitors for patients near the end of life will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.

Telephone hotline

IVCH has established a telephone hotline to answer questions and provide guidance about COVID-19. Individuals may talk to a nurse by calling (815) 780-3425 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. daily.

COVID-19 Testing

Per Illinois Department of Public Health guidelines, IVCH is not doing routine COVID-19 testing. At this time, the IDPH is only performing tests for hospitalized patients who have unexplained pneumonia and people living in group settings, such as nursing homes.