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Support for Visitors
Visiting Patients at Bridgepoint and Mount Sinai
Beginning November 23, Sinai Health is reducing essential care partner access based on the rate of community transmission of COVID-19.
We are limiting the amount of people in our hospitals to reduce the potential spread of COVID-19 for the safety of our patients and everyone working in our hospitals.
Criteria for Visiting a Patient
Please note that this information does not apply to the Emergency Department at Mount Sinai Hospital. For more information, visit the Emergency Department during COVID-19 page.
The following requirements and updated criteria are in place for visiting patients or accompanying a patient to an appointment at Bridgepoint Active Healthcare and Mount Sinai Hospital. Patients who meet the criteria for having an essential visitor will need to designate one essential care partner and one alternate. Only one essential care partner is allowed at a time. Essential care partners should check in with the care team on arrival to the unit and should remain at the bedside. If visiting a patient on Additional Precautions, you may be required to wear additional protective equipment.
Essential care partner visiting guidelines
Two (2) scheduled visits per week between 10 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. with an essential care partner
Patients who have a hospital stay of longer than 14 days
Patients with a cognitive impairment or who are unable to communicate
Initial visit between 10 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. from an essential care partner, with further steps provided after a clinical assessment
Patients who may be receiving a life altering diagnosis or who are critically ill
Patients experiencing a mental health crisis
Surgical patients
Daily visit between 10 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. from an essential care partner
Patients receiving palliative care
24-hour essential care partner access
Parents of patients under 18 years or patients with significant developmental disability
Patients who are within one year of transitioning from pediatric to adult care
Patients who are at end of life with a prognosis of less than 2 weeks
Parents of a baby in the NICU (only one person is allowed to visit at a time)
Birthing partner of a woman in labour and postpartum
Visitor Appeals
If the care team is unable to assist you, please contact Patient Relations with any appeals related to your situation or if you have further questions. Appeals can take 48 hours to process, so please address time-sensitive requests with the care team. Patient Relations can be reached at 416-586-4800 x 5066 or [email protected] (Use "Appeal" in your subject line).
Do not visit if you or others in your household are ill or waiting for COVID-19 test results due to recent or ongoing symptoms or a known exposure to COVID-19.
Do not visit if you are feeling unwell with any symptoms of illness—even mild symptoms, including fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or abdominal pain.
Do not visit if you have travelled outside of Canada in the last 14 days.
Help Keep our Hospitals Safe
Help keep our hospitals safe during your visit. Anyone that does not follow these infection prevention protocols, may be asked to leave.
You will be provided with a medical grade surgical mask for your visit. Wear the mask properly so that it covers your nose and mouth at all times while you are in the hospital. If you don't have a mask, one will be provided when you enter.
Please do not take off your mask to eat or drink when in the hospital. Instead, eat or drink before or after you visit.
Practice physical distancing and keep two metres from others as much as possible.
Clean your hands often for at least 15 seconds.
Stay at the patient's bedside. Please do not go in other patient rooms, lounges or common areas.
We urge all families and caregivers to keep in touch with patients by phone or digital technologies, and we look forward to welcoming all visitors back when it is safe to do so.
Information and tip sheets
Tip sheet:
How to wear a mask safely (PDF)
What to expect when arriving at our hospitals during COVID-19
How to use a mask properly
Essential Care Partners Frequently Asked Questions
Why are hospitals still limiting visitors?
The phased approach to reintegrating visitors into our hospitals is a separate process to the Province's staged plan for reopening other sectors. This is essential because safely increasing visitor access involves carefully monitoring for changes in the rates of COVID-19 as more services and businesses open up in our communities.
Increasing visitor access also depends on the risk of outbreaks in the hospital and the community, access to personal protective equipment (PPE) and critical supplies, staffing levels, ability to maintain physical distancing in a hospital's available space and the volume of people entering the hospital.
Who is allowed to visit an inpatient in the hospital?
Sinai Health is limiting visitor access to only essential care partners. Visitors must go through screening when they enter the hospital, wear a mask and stay at the bedside during their visit. Children under the age of 12 can visit only in exceptional circumstances. This is to keep patients, health care providers and the children themselves safe.
How do I stay connected to a patient while they are in the hospital?
WIFI: Complimentary Guest WI-FI access is available at Mount Sinai Hospital and Bridgepoint Active Healthcare.
Email Messages: To send a supportive note to a patient during their stay, use this link for Mount Sinai Hospital and this link for Bridgepoint Active Healthcare and the patient will receive your message.
Is it safe for me to visit a patient in the hospital?
At this time, only essential care partners are able to visit. Our hospital is safe for our patients and visitors. We have taken measures to ensure the safety and well-being of our patients and those providing care to them during the COVID-19 pandemic, including:
Limiting visitor access and the number of people in the hospital
Screening for symptoms at entrances
Using masks and appropriate personal protective equipment
Putting physical distancing measures in place
What steps do I need to take when visiting a patient?
All visitors will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms prior to entering. You will be asked to wear a mask, clean your hands frequently and maintain physical distance of two metres when possible. Please do not take off your mask to eat or drink when in the hospital. Instead, eat or drink before or after you visit.
When you are visiting, we ask that you stay at the bedside and do not go to common areas. There are no in-and-out privileges so please have everything with you when you arrive.
Can I bring my own mask?
You may wear your own mask or the hospital will provide you with one. Please clean your hands before putting it on and wear it properly at all times. If you have questions about how to put on or take off the mask, please review this tip sheet or ask someone on the care team.
Can I still get food at the hospitals?
We need to do everything we can to prevent outbreaks and keep everyone safe. Everyone is required to wear a mask—covering the nose and mouth and below the chin—at all times while in the hospital building. This means that you cannot consume food or drink while inside the hospital. This applies to all areas of the hospital, including patient rooms, hallways and public areas. We encourage you to eat or drink before or after you visit.
How long will visitor restrictions be in place?
As the circumstances around the COVID-19 pandemic continue to change and evolve, the safety of our patients, visitors, staff and physicians remains paramount. We need to balance the need of family presence and the risk of outbreak. We cannot predict how long the restrictions will be in place. The phased approach to visitor access will allow us to be flexible in increasing or decreasing access as the situation changes.
I would like to be considered with special circumstances for visiting a patient. What should I do?
If you feel we should provide you with an appeal, please contact Patient Relations at 416-586-4800 x 5066 or [email protected] (Use Appeal in your subject line). Appeals can take 48 hours to process, so please address time-sensitive requests with the clinical team.
Are visitors who have symptoms or who test positive for COVID-19 allowed to visit a patient?
Anyone with symptoms or who is COVID-19 positive should be self-isolating and not visit. Only in exceptional circumstances will case by case allowances be made in partnership with the clinical team and the Sinai Health Infection Prevention and Control team.
How do I drop off any items for a patient?
Items can be dropped off for patients at Mount Sinai Hospital and Bridgepoint Active Healthcare to the screeners at the open entrances during the following times:
Mount Sinai Hospital: Seven days a week, 9 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. (the University Avenue entrance is open Monday through Friday, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Outside of those hours, please use the Murray Street entrance.)
Bridgepoint Active Healthcare: Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Please label each item delivered with the patient's first and last name, unit and room number. Unfortunately, we will be unable to accept any perishable items.
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