Novant Health has announced that it will be lifting visitor restrictions for children under the age of 13 that were implemented in North Carolina hospitals in January due to an increase in respiratory illness infection.

The restrictions were set to be removed on Thursday at 7 a.m.

“We have observed a steady decline in the volume and severity of respiratory illnesses over the past several weeks. Together with other North Carolina health systems, we are making the decision to lift our temporary visitor restrictions. We thank everyone for their cooperation and support to keep our patients safe during peak respiratory virus season. We look forward to welcoming back visitors of all ages to our hospitals,” Dr. David Priest, senior vice president and chief safety and quality officer, is quoted as saying in a press release.

Novant still recommends all community members take measures that are known to limit the spread of respiratory viruses.

• Stay home if you’re sick. Health officials strongly encourage people to stay home when sick, maintain good respiratory etiquette such as handwashing and covering the nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing.
• Get vaccinated. Most importantly, get vaccinated against flu, RSV (for eligible children and senior citizens) and COVID-19.

Visit NovantHealth.org/VisitorRestrictions for more information.

Novant Health routinely assesses risks to patients, visitors and team members as respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, flu and RSV, evolve. Should additional protection be needed, Novant Health may implement updated safety guidelines, including updating visitor restrictions.