Following the announcement of the end of the isolation period, this page will be updated soon.
Due to the COVID‑19 situation in Québec at this time and the deconfinement plan for the general public, guidelines for hospital visits by informal caregivers and other people are presented below.
Family presence is valued. Family support during an episode of care has a positive impact on the patient’s recovery.
According to the guidelines, the following people are not allowed to visit a loved one:
- a person who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the last 10 days and who does not meet the other criteria for ending self-isolation;
- a person who has symptoms consistent with COVID‑19;
- a person who has been advised to self-isolate because they are suspected of being infected, because they are waiting to get tested or for a test result or because they have symptoms consistent with COVID‑19;
- a person who has been instructed to self-isolate because they have returned from travel outside Canada.
Hospital staff will question visitors and informal caregivers upon arrival in order to evaluate whether they have symptoms, to make sure that they have not recently tested positive for COVID-19, and, if applicable, to determine if the criteria for ending self-isolation are met.
Close and immediate family members, informal caregivers, but also all other visitors may access the hospital centre where the patient is under observation or hospitalized, including young children.
All of them may visit a person who is hospitalized (or under observation) more than once a day. They themselves can determine the time and length of the visit, whether or not there is an outbreak in the emergency room or care unit. More than one informal caregiver may provide significant assistance and support to the same person in a hospital centre.
The hospital’s general visitation guidelines must be respected at all times, and more restrictive guidelines may apply to ensure more vulnerable patients are protected (e.g., immunosuppressed patients).
Visits by volunteers are allowed and are considered equivalent to visits by informal caregivers.
Last update: November 3, 2022
