Crawford Memorial Hospital announced new patient and visitor guidelines as COVID-19 cases soar in the county.
The new guidelines took effect Monday and will continue until further notice. The Crawford County Health Department has reported 569 new cases of the coronavirus in the past week.
Outpatients will be allowed to bring one person with them only if they need assistance, such as assistance walking, wheelchair, dementia or special needs.
Patients in the consulting clinic may bring one person with them.
Emergency room patients can only have one person with them and it must be the same person for the duration of the stay. If a patient is suspected of having COVID, no one is allowed to be with them until a negative test is confirmed.
For inpatient, observation and swing bed patients, one visitor is allowed we patient. The visitor must be the same visitor for the entire day.
Obstetric patients are allowed two support people. It must be the same two support people for the entire stay and they may be present at the same time.
One person is allowed to be with a surgery patient and it must be the same person throughout the duration of the stay.
Rural health clinics patients are allowed to bring one person with them if they need assistance. Patients should continue to call the office upon arrival for screening.
For pediatric patients age 15 and younger, one person is allowed to be with them. 
Patients who have or are suspected of having COVID, will not be allowed any visitors with the exception of end of life patients.
In addition to the new guidelines, the standard COVID guidelines are still in place as well.
Masks are required as well as social distancing and everyone who enters the building is screened upon arrival.
Visitors and caregivers will not be allowed to enter if they exhibit COVID or flu like symptoms, such as a cough, fever, headache, sore throat, chills, aches, runny/stuffy nose, vomiting, diarrhea and new loss of taste or smell.