Rise in COVID-19 cases causes MU Health Care to tighten visitor rules
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
MU Health Care is tightening restrictions on visitors as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations spike across the region.
Starting Wednesday, adult inpatients at University Hospital, Missouri Orthopaedic Institute and Women’s and Children’s Hospital will be allowed one visitor from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Women in labor will be allowed a spouse or partner and labor coach. No visitors will be permitted for adult patients diagnosed with COVID-19.
As of Wednesday, Missouri has reported 537,887 positive cases since the pandemic began. Health officials reported 6,804 new cases and 13 deaths in the past seven days and the seven-day positivity rate stood at 12.4%.
The recent spike in cases comes as the delta variant continues to take over throughout the state. According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 74.6% of the state's new cases are from the delta variant. There are 427 active COVID-19 cases in Boone County.
Health leaders in southwest and Central Missouri have warned about the increasing numbers of the more contagious variant driving up the number of patients in hospitals. The average number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care statewide topped 380 on Tuesday. That number was as low as 120 as recently as early April.
In the central region of the state, that number was nearly zero in early April and grew to 34 on Wednesday. The region has 37% of its inpatient capacity remaining.
MU Health Care currently has 42 positive patients in its hospitals and six inpatients who have pending test results. The Columbia/Boone County Health Department reported 90 COVID-19 patients in hospitals here Tuesday, with 38 of them in intensive care. Only 21 of them are from Boone County.
Parents and guardians will continue to be permitted for pediatric patients at MU Health Care hospitals, but only one parent will be allowed for pediatric patients with COVID-19. Missouri Psychiatric Center patients will only be allowed one visitor from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Emergency patients, those undergoing same-day surgery and testing, and those attending clinic visits will be limited to a single visitor. Zoom and FaceTime will continue to provide patients access to family and friends, the health care provider said.
MU Health Chief Nursing Officer, Mary Beck, cited the jump in new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in making the decision.
"We made the decision that it is best to limit the number of vistors for the safety of our staff our patients and other visitors that may be in our buildings," Beck said.
Beck said the hospital is not at the point where it has to turn local patients away or reschedule procedures. However, they have had to put patient transfers on waitlists or referrals to other hospitals.
Boone Healths Chief Medical Officer Dr. Robin Blount said ICU has seen a shortage of beds.
"There are some days where we hold people in the ER while we wait for an ICU to open up and that certainly is not ideal," Dr. Blount said.
The jump in infections is taking place despite a vaccination rate in Boone County that is higher than most of the state. About 51% of the county's residents have started vaccination and about 46% have completed the regimen, according to state data. But the numbers are lagging in other Mid-Missouri counties.
About 25% of Miller County's residents have started vaccination. Miller is one of several counties -- including Camden and Morgan -- where state authorities have issued advisories about high levels of coronavirus infection.
Check back for updates to this developing story.
