Southern Maine Health Care puts new visitation restrictions in place in response to COVID-19 outbreak

March 15, 2020

In response to the coronavirus outbreak, Southern Maine Health Care is immediately implementing temporary restrictions with regard to their policies for visitors.

This is being done, in part, to prevent or limit community spread of the virus. Infectious disease experts say that measures to contain the virus are most effective early in its spread. Also, though the vast majority of people infected with COVID-19 will experience mild to moderate symptoms and make a full recovery, COVID-19 can be very serious for vulnerable populations, especially older people with underlying health conditions.

The new guidelines for visitors are as follows:

  • Visitation hours at Biddeford and Sanford Medical Centers are Monday through Friday from 5:30am to 6:00pm and Saturday and Sunday from 6:00am to 3:00pm.
  • Limit of one visitor per patient for both inpatient and ambulatory care. This includes all hospital, ambulatory, clinic appointments, and emergency department visits.
  • Because children can carry COVID-19 without showing symptoms, no visitor under the age of 18 will be permitted.
  • Care teams can make exceptions in specific circumstances (i.e. pediatric patients, compassionate care)
  • All events open to the public/community groups and meetings at any SMHC facilities are cancelled.

About Southern Maine Health Care
Southern Maine Health Care (SMHC) is a national award-winning healthcare organization with a non-profit mission “to improve the health and health care of the communities we serve.”  SMHC includes a full service, acute care medical center in Biddeford, with York County’s only inpatient mental health unit. Emergency care, surgical services and diagnostic and therapy services are available at SMHC’s Medical Centers in Biddeford and Sanford. SMHC offers primary care and multi-specialty physician services, diagnostic and therapy services and Walk-In Care centers in York County communities including Biddeford, Kennebunk, Saco, Sanford and Waterboro. SMHC is Joint Commission accredited and has been recognized for quality excellence by numerous outside organizations. SMHC is part of the MaineHealth system, a growing family of health care services in northern New England. To learn more, visit smhc.org.     

Media Contact
Allison Kenty
207-283-7233
allison.kenty@mainehealth.org