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In-person visits to hospitals and residential care homes will resume starting Nov. 22, with enhanced Vaccination-differentiated Safe Management Measures (VDS) in place.
This was announced by the Multi-Ministry Taskforce on Saturday (Nov. 20).
In-person visits to hospital wards have been suspended since Sep. 24, and on Oct. 21, the suspension on visits to hospitals and residential care homes was extended until Nov. 21.
Enhanced VDS for in-person hospital and care home visits
"The strict implementation of such VDS measures will minimise the risk of outbreaks, which may otherwise jeopardise the lives of vulnerable patients and residents and affect the operating capacity of our hospitals and residential care homes," MOH said.
In-person visits will only be allowed if the patient/resident and their visitors are all fully-vaccinated.
Visitors allowed into the hospitals and care homes have to show a valid negative Antigen Rapid Test result obtained within the last 24 hours of each visit.
Visitors who have recovered from Covid-19 within 270 days of their visit are exempted from the pre-visit testing requirements.
Each patient will be allowed to register up to two visitors for each admission, and only one visitor will be allowed at the bedside at any one time.
Patients who are critically ill will be allowed five registered visitors for each admission, with two visitors allowed at the bedside at any time. Each patient can receive up to two visits per day, with each visit lasting 30 minutes.
As a concession, medically-ineligible patients/residents and visitors will also be allowed in-person visits.
via MOH.
Exceptions
For patient/residents and visitors who are not fully vaccinated, in-person visits will only be allowed under "exceptional circumstances" on a case-by-case basis, as advised by the hospitals and care homes.
These "exceptional" circumstances include patients who are in critical condition, paediatric patients, birthing or post-partum mothers, and patients who require additional care support from caregivers, such as inpatients who have mental incapacities or family members who are undergoing caregiver training to better care for their loved ones after hospital discharge.
These measures does not apply to individuals seeking medical care from hospitals.
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Top photo via Facebook / Tan Tock Seng Hospital.