(Yellowknife, October 20, 2021) – As we see an increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations, Stanton Territorial Hospital (STH) has had to make the difficult decision of reducing visitation access at our sites.  Safety is at the forefront of all interactions that take place in the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services facilities. Updated visitation restrictions have been developed that take into consideration the patient’s condition and needs, their COVID status, and their household.

Updates include:

• Patients who are COVID positive cannot have any visitors until they are deemed recovered from their infection. Exemption requests will be considered only in the case of pediatric, maternity or adult dependent patients.
• Palliative & End-of-life patients can designate two visitors who can visit at the same time. An additional four visitors may be designated but can visit by appointment only.
• Patients coming to the Emergency Department may be accompanied by one person if their presence is required to support the care of the patient. Elders/seniors, children 18 and under, and patients with reduced mobility and/or cognitive function will be permitted to have their designated support person remain with them in the Emergency Department. Children 18 and under can have two designated support persons, if required.
• Patients coming to the Obstetrics Unit can bring one designated support person. One additional designated visitor will be considered in cases where the first support person is not also a guardian of the infant.
• Admitted patients who need to leave the hospital as part of their treatment plan require an off-site pass to be ordered by their physician.
• Designated visitors are permitted to bring food, gifts, and other personal items to admitted patients.  Please consult with unit staff to ensure that there are no special considerations related to the items you are bringing to the hospital.
• Deliveries of food, gifts, and other personal belongings will be accepted by screening staff positioned at hospital entrances. STH cannot guarantee the delivery timeframe of these items as this is subject to staff availability. Items left for delivery should be in clean outside packaging that can be disinfected.
• NTHSSA acknowledges the significance and importance of traditional Indigenous practices and protocols and promotes the involvement of the Stanton Indigenous Wellness Program where possible for these types of needs.
• To ensure we continue to uphold the highest health and safety standards at STH, all designated support persons and visitors will still be required to follow continuous masking guideline and perform hand hygiene, maintain physical distancing and complete health screening upon entry to the facility.
• Visitors should not come to health facilities if:
  • they are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms,
  • they have been a close contact of someone with COVID-19, or
  • they are awaiting test results for COVID-19 unless they meet the criteria for an exemption and have been approved, in advance.

Please visit the Visitor Restrictions and Processes During Covid-19 webpage for full details on all visitation processes.

We would like to remind all residents and visitors that patients and residents in healthcare facilities are often highly vulnerable; because of this, visitors are highly encouraged to be fully vaccinated before entering the healthcare facility to visit. Immunized individuals are still required to follow all public health measures, including physical distancing, masking, isolation, and quarantine requirements, as well as complete a health screening before entering the facility.

Thank you for your continued patience and cooperation as we protect patients, families, staff, and physicians and work to ensure our sites remain safe for all residents of the NWT.