If there’s one thing that COVID-19 can guarantee us, it’s that things will not stay the same.
And on 22 Sep 2021, the Ministry of Health (MOH) imposed an extra restriction on Singapore hospitals and it isn’t great news.
No Visitors Allowed in Hospital Wards From 24 Sep 2021
On 22 Sep 2021, MOH announced that no visitors will be allowed into hospital wards from Friday, 24 Sep 2021, onwards.
More cases were detected among hospital staff, patients and visitors, leading to ward closures and staff quarantine.
This is bad timing given how more beds are needed to care for hospitalised COVID-19 patients amidst Singapore’s rising number of community cases.
This restriction is here to stay for four weeks until 23 Oct 2021.
However, that doesn’t mean that no one will be allowed into the wards.
Certain Groups of Patients Still Allowed Visitors
According to MOH, certain groups of patients will allow for visitors on a case-by-case basis.
This include:
- Patients in critical conditions
- Paediatric patients
- Mothers giving birth / who had given birth
- Patients who require additional care support from caregivers
Those that require care support, such as the assistance of inpatients with mental incapacities or those who are undergoing caregiver training are also included; they will be allowed only one pre-designated visitor per day.
Patients in critical conditions are allowed up to five pre-designated visitors; only two will be allowed at the patient’s bedside at any point in time.
Requirements
So, let’s say you are approved to go into the ward, can you simply walk in?
The answer’s no; you’ll have to produce a negative ART or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test taken within the past 24 hours of each visit.
This requirement stays regardless of your vaccination status.
The only exemption is for people who’ve recovered from COVID-19 and is able to produce a valid pre-event test (PET) exemption notice.
Rules
Other than the test requirement, other rules must also be followed in the wards.
This include:
- Wearing face masks with “good filtration capability at all times”; i.e. surgical masks or reusable masks made up of two layers of fabrics
- No eating or drinking in the wards
- No using of patients’ toilets in the wards
- And no sitting on patients’ beds
ART
From Friday, higher-risk patients will need to take the mandatory ART at Emergency Departments (ED) or 24-hour emergency clinics, regardless of vaccination status.
According to MOH, these patients include:
- Patients who stay for a prolonged period in ED beds in:
- Short-stay unit
- Extended diagnostic and treatment unit
- Observation bay and wards in private hospitals
- Those who need to undergo mask-off assessment
- And those who have to undergo procedures that take 15 minutes or longer
Similarly, people who are accompanying these patients throughout the period beyond more than 30 minutes will also need to take the ART.
The cost for the tests will be subsidised by the government for both vaccinated and unvaccinated patients until the end of this year; however, depending on the hospital, accompany persons might have to pay for their own tests.
Avoid Emergency Departments If Possible
In case you missed the memo, the A&E departments in Singapore are feeling stressed recently.
So much so that the MTF mandated that all eligible individuals aged 12 to 69 can recover at home, up from the previous requirement of 12 to 50 years old.
For those who have “non-emergency conditions or mild symptoms”, the ministry urges them to consult a general practitioner (GP) or urgent care centres.
For those who suspect that they have COVID-19, they should go to a Swab and Send Home (SASH) clinic instead.
This will allow patients who truly need the emergency care department’s facilities to be quickly attended to, potentially saving their lives.
Read Also:
- 7 COVID-19 Updates Announced By The MTF During The 17 Sep Press Conference
- PM Lee Urges S’poreans To Work Together As S’pore Tries To Scale Up COVID-19 Operations
Feature Image: Google Maps
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