Interim Care

COVID-19 changes to visiting our hospitals

Updated 15 December 2021

You must not visit our hospitals if you have been to a COVID-19 exposure venue or an interstate area of concern in the last 14 days, even if you have returned a negative COVID-19 test. You may visit our hospitals if you have been to a hotspot within the last 14 days and you are fully vaccinated.

Unvaccinated visitors may be allowed to enter the hospital if they meet the criteria for:

• A parent, guardian or carer of a patient under the age of 16 years
• Supporting a patient at the end of life
• A support person for a patient during childbirth
• A carer or support person
• Supporting a patient in an emergency situation.

Unvaccinated visitors can apply for hospital entry by completing a Visitor Approval Form. Requests will be assessed on a case-by-case by the treating facility. Conditions apply to approved visitors.

If you are a worker attending a hospital or facility to undertake a service, meeting or to facilitate any kind of work, even if it is not in a clinical setting, you must be double-vaccinated as per the Chief Health Officer’s Workers in Healthcare Direction.

Any person permitted to enter a hospital must not enter, or remain on, the premises without wearing a face mask.

Standard COVID-19 visitor restrictions still apply at this facility. This means you must not visit this facility if:

• You are unwell
• You have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or have been asked to isolate or home-quarantine
• You have been tested for COVID-19 and are awaiting test results (unless your test has been taken in accordance with a surveillance testing obligation)
• You have been informed you are a close contact of a diagnosed person or a secondary contact of a person with COVID-19
• You have a fever (37.5 degrees or more) or history of fever (e.g. nights sweats, chills) or acute respiratory infection (e.g. cough, shortness of breath, sore throat), runny nose, vomiting or nausea, diarrhoea, loss of smell or loss of taste.
• You have returned from overseas (other than a safe travel zone country) or an interstate exposure venue in the last 14 days and do not have an exemption to visit.
• You have returned from a hotspot in the last 14 days, are not fully vaccinated and do not have an exemption to visit.

If you are unsure if visitor restrictions apply to you – please call ahead and ask the ward or facility before you arrive.