Visiting Hours

Patient visitation:

To protect you, our patients and staff, visitor restrictions are in place at St Vincent’s Lismore.

Visiting hours:

Visitors to St Vincent’s Lismore are welcome but must wear a mask correctly before entering and while inside the facility. Children aged 12 and under are not required to wear masks.

All visitors will be screened on entry and must follow the advice of healthcare staff at all times.

Additional short-term restrictions may be implemented in response to a local COVID-19 outbreak to minimise the risk of transmission and ensure the safety of patients and staff. This may include limiting the number of visitors at the bedside at any given time.

Visitors will generally be permitted if they:

• Wear a surgical mask correctly at all times while in the facility
• Have not tested positive to COVID-19 within the last 10 days
• Have not tested positive to another acute respiratory infection in the last seven (7) days
• Do not have symptoms of COVID-19 or other acute respiratory infection
• Are not high risk contacts of someone who has COVID-19 in the previous seven (7) days
• Have not arrived from overseas in the past 7 days
• Are not visiting a COVID-19 positive patient

An exemption to any of the above criteria may be permitted at the discretion of the Nurse Unit Manager under the following circumstances on a case-by-case basis:

• compassionate grounds, i.e. end of life visits
• parents/guardians of children
• a carer of a patient with a disability

If you enter St Vincent’s, the following precautions are encouraged:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water, before and after eating as well as after attending the toilet.
• Avoid contact with others (including touching, kissing, hugging, and other intimate contact).
• Cough and sneeze into your elbow.
• If you are asked to wear a surgical face mask, after putting it on to cover your nose and mouth, do not touch the front of the mask. Remove the mask using the ear loops or head straps.
• Dispose of the used mask into a waste bin and perform hand hygiene with soap and water or alcohol hand rub.

All visitors are asked to observe visiting hours and respect the privacy of our patients.

Further information regarding COVID-19

• Understand high risk contacts and general advice for people exposed to COVID-19: www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/management/people-exposed-to-covid.
• Australian Government Department of Health homepage: www.health.gov.au.
• If you have symptoms or questions about COVID-19, call the National Coronavirus Helpline on 1800 020 080. If you require translating or interpreting services, call 131 450.
• Public Health Information Hotline – 1800 004 599 or NSW Health – 1300 066 055
• Please call Triple Zero (000) for emergencies only.