Additional restrictions for visitors at MercyOne North Iowa due to flu

MASON CITY — MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center has initiated additional visitor restrictions due to the increase of influenza in the community. For the protection of patients and to prevent the further spread of influenza, visitor restrictions include:

 

== Visitors with respiratory or influenza like symptoms are restricted

 

== OB visitation restricted to significant other and grandparents

 

== Pediatric visitor restriction limited to parents and grandparents.

 

== Patients in isolation are limited to significant other and parents plus 2 visitors

 

== Visitors 18 years of age and less are restricted from entering the hospital, unless extenuating circumstances.

 

MercyOne North Iowa officials say they realize there may be circumstances that deserve special consideration, and in those cases families should call the nurse in charge on the unit they wish to visit prior to arriving at the hospital. Per its policy, MercyOne North Iowa instates the Level 2 Visitation restrictions when two or more surveillance criteria are met for four consecutive days. Mercy officials may initiate stricter visitor guidelines if influenza rates increase in the community.