For Safety, Visitors Must Be 12 Years Old
New Bern, NC – Effective Tuesday, January 7th and until further notice, visitors to CarolinaEast Medical Center must be at least 12 years old. This limitation is due to the high incidence of influenza in our community and across the state and country. Children under the age of 12 are more at risk of contracting and/or spreading influenza and other viruses. “We held off making this decision as long as we could, but patient safety is our top priority,” said Brandy Popp, Manager, Public Relations and Outreach. “As with most hospitals in our region, patient census is at an extreme high. We ask for your understanding and patience as we move through this challenging flu season,” she added.
In addition to the age limitation, CarolinaEast requests there be no more than one to two visitors per patient at any time. CarolinaEast asks that you refrain from visiting if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms: cough, fever, diarrhea, vomiting or respiratory symptoms.
CarolinaEast leadership will continue to monitor the situation and adjust as patient and service needs evolve. “Even with our resources being strained, our employees will do whatever it takes to make sure our community gets the quality care it deserves. That is what we have done 24 hours a day for over 55 years,” said Popp.
Submitted by: Brandy Popp, Manager, Public Relations and Outreach, CarolinaEast Health System