For your safety, we have implemented the following precautions related to COVID-19:

• All patients will be tested for COVID-19 upon admission if it has not been done pre-admission.
• Patients will be allocated to specific areas in the hospital, based on their risk factors and test results.
• Kindly note that the patients you room with (including yourself) might test positive at some stage. Patients who test positive will be relocated and separated from confirmed COVID-19 negative patients.
• If you were previously tested for COVID-19, but your results are older than five days, you may be retested.

We are committed to taking the following precautions:

• We apply social distancing, and our beds are adequately spaced to prevent transmission.
• We encourage general hand hygiene and sufficient facilities (i.e. soap, basins and alcohol hand sanitizer dispensers) are available for patients and staff to perform hand hygiene regularly.
• Universal masking is compulsory and all patients, staff, doctors and support personnel must wear a mask at all times. Kindly request that a family member brings extra masks to the hospital to ensure that you have clean mask for each day. Please do not remove your mask unnecessarily.
• We recommend that personal items (i.e. cell phones and chargers, food or magazines) not be shared between individuals.
• We prioritise the cleaning of shared environments, i.e. rooms and bathrooms. These areas can be cleaned more often on request.
• Please ring the bell after visiting the bathroom to ensure that it is cleaned.
• Please be sure to practice cough etiquette: cough into a flexed elbow or use a tissue. Do not remove your mask to cough and perform hand hygiene after coughing and sneezing.

Please refrain from assisting other patients as this may pose a risk to you. Rather use your call bell if you or another patient requires assistance.

Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre has always believed that patients and their loved ones are important partners in healing. We would like to thank our amazing community for their patience during these difficult times and look forward to welcoming more visitors to our facility in the coming months. As we gradually reduce visiting restrictions, we appreciate all visitors as our partners in maintaining a safe environment for our patients and caregivers.

To ensure our patients and caregivers safety, and to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, we request that all visitors note the following requirements:

Who may visit:

• All non-Covid patients are allowed one designated visitor per day – the names of the designated visitors should be listed on the Visitor Consent form by the patient on admission.
• Visiting hours: Due to COVID-19 restrictions visiting hours have been revised. Please contact the hospital for the correct times.
• Visitors must be 12 years or older, except in special circumstances.
• Be healthy and pass temperature and symptom screening on arrival.
• Visitors who are sick will not be permitted to enter the hospital; this is without exception.
• If a visitor does not pass the screening process or does not follow hospital protocols they will not be permitted to visit.

Infection control behaviour

Perform hand hygiene:

• Wash your hands or spray with hand sanitiser on arrival at the hospital and again on arrival at the ward or department
• Wash your hands or spray with hand sanitiser during the time you are in the ward or department, especially if you touch anything
• Wash your hands or spray with hand sanitiser on leaving the hospital and when you arrive at home

Please make certain that your mask covers both your nose and mouth and to keep it on at all times, in addition to correctly wearing any other personal protective equipment as directed by hospital staff

Visitors must remain at the patient’s bedside throughout the visit unless directed by the clinical team and are not permitted to walk around the hospital or gather in lounge or smoking areas.

Limit the number of items you bring with you when visiting a patient in our wards

Maintain physical distancing from anyone else in the hospital