MINNEAPOLIS (June 29, 2020) — The safety of Allina Health’s patients, visitors and employees continue to be our top priority. As safety guidelines from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continue to evolve around the coronavirus (COVID-19), so will our policies at Allina Health facilities.
Effective immediately, Allina Health has implemented changes to the visitor policy and temperature screening process.
Allina Health has changed its policy from a no visitor policy to a one person per day visitor policy, with exceptions.
Visitors are allowed to leave and come back that same day, after undergoing the symptom screening process. Visitors returning the same day must present their screening sticker or be re-screened:
Family or friends are not allowed to visit COVID-19 positive patients or patients awaiting test results for suspected case of COVID-19.
Labor and Delivery patients must continue to designate one visitor per maternal patient throughout their stay at the facility.
In addition, Allina Health will no longer require temperature checking for visitors, except in residential hospice facilities and transitional rehab programs. Given the lack of sufficient evidence showing active temperature screening as an effective tool for reducing potential exposure, Allina Health is suspending active temperature screening of employees and visitors. This change is in line with updated CDC guidance published June 19.
Universal masking and verbal symptom screening of employees, patients and visitors continues to play a significant role in decreasing health care transmission of COVID-19 and is the best use of Allina Health resources.
Allina Health is dedicated to the prevention and treatment of illness and enhancing the greater health of individuals, families and communities throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin. A not-for-profit health care system, Allina Health cares for patients from beginning to end-of-life through its 90+ clinics, 10 hospitals / 13 campuses, 15 retail pharmacies, and many specialty care centers and specialty medical services, home care, and emergency medical transportation services.