ROCHESTER, Minn. ― To protect patients and staff, Mayo Clinic is limiting the number of outpatient and hospital visitors while there is concern about COVID-19 transmission.

UPDATED: Saturday, March 21st

As Mayo Clinic continues to monitor the outbreak of the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease), additional changes have been made to policies for visitors to all Mayo Clinic sites. Please read below for additional details.

Effective Sunday, March 22, to ensure the safety of hospital patients and staff, no visitors will be allowed in the hospital setting or emergency department. Exceptions include consideration for childbirth, end-of-life care, hospitalized children, and other rare and unique circumstances assessed by the care team. 

Effective Monday, March 23, outpatient clinic patients may have one individual accompany them, with consideration for special exceptions determined by patient care teams.

The ongoing safety of patients, staff and the community remains Mayo Clinic’s primary focus. To protect patients and staff, Mayo Clinic will limit the number of visitors on its campuses while there is a threat of COVID-19 transmission.

These restrictions may be difficult for patients and their loved ones, but Mayo is taking these necessary steps to protect patients and staff. Limiting the number of visitors is temporary and is being done to safeguard the health of all who come to Mayo Clinic.

Following are site-specific updates to hospital visitor policies:

Arizona:

• Outpatient/Clinic Patients: Patients may have one individual accompany them in the clinic (outpatient) setting. Due to additional screening activities, please allow extra time upon arrival (approximately 20 minutes).

• Hospital Patients: For each hospital patient, one visitor per patient at a time will be allowed. The visitor will be screened to be sure they are free from fever and respiratory symptoms. Additional guidelines apply for patients who are receiving care for respiratory conditions that require isolation.

Florida:

• Effectively immediately, to ensure the safety of hospital patients, no visitors will be allowed for patients at Mayo Clinic Hospital and Emergency Department. Requests for exceptions should be sent to the Healthcare Incident Command System (HICS) at 904-956-1800.

Rochester:

• Hospital Patients: Effective Sunday, March 22, to ensure the safety of hospital patients and staff, no visitors will be allowed in the hospital setting or emergency department. Exceptions include consideration for childbirth, end-of-life care, hospitalized children, and other rare circumstances as assessed by the care team.

• Outpatient/Clinic Patients: Patients may have one individual accompany them in the clinic (outpatient) setting, with consideration for special exceptions as determined by your care team. Due to respiratory illness screening activities, please allow extra time upon arrival (approximately 15 minutes). We ask for your patience as we work to implement these processes in our clinics.

Since Mayo has begun screening visitors in Rochester, staff members are urged to use staff-only entrances to avoid congestion. If you must use an entrance used by patients and visitors, you can move swiftly through by displaying your Mayo Clinic access identification badge.

Mayo Clinic Health System:

Hospitalized patients across Mayo Clinic Health System will no longer be allowed to have visitors. The effective dates are as follows:

• Northwest Wisconsin: Effective Sunday, March 22, at 7 a.m.
• Southwest Wisconsin: Effective Sunday, March 22, at 7 a.m.
• Southeast Minnesota: Effective as of Friday, March 20
• Southwest Minnesota: Effective as of Friday, March 20

A limited number of compassionate exceptions will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and no visitors under age 18 will be allowed. All visitors will be screened to assess the need for a COVID-19 test. If a visitor is tested, they will not be allowed to visit while results are pending, or if results are positive.

Click here for additional information on patient visitor guidelines, including Florida, Arizona and the Mayo Clinic Health system.

Media contact: Kelley Luckstein, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, newsbureau@mayo.edu

Check the CDC website for additional updates on COVID-19.
For more information and all your COVID-19 coverage, go to the Mayo Clinic News Network and mayoclinic.org.

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