VISITING restrictions remain in place for inpatient wards in University Hospital Limerick due to very high levels of Covid positive patients in the hospital and the high level of community transmission.

The visitor ban has been in place since Sunday afternoon and the only exceptions are • parents visiting children in hospital • people assisting confused patients; for example, dementia
• visiting on compassionate grounds; for example, for patients who are critically unwell or at end of life

A spokesperson for UL Hospitals Group said, “We regret the imposition of visiting restrictions so soon after we began to lift them. The decision has been taken to help keep all patients and staff safe, and to ensure that the hospital’s essential services can remain open at this time.”

Exemptions are limited to one person per patient and will be looked at on a case by case basis.

In cases where exemptions apply, it is strongly recommend that the visitor is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before coming to the hospital, to minimise risks to themselves, patients and staff.

“We advise also that people should not visit relatives or loved ones outdoors in the grounds of the hospital, as this can also present a COVID-19 transmission risk,” the spokesperson added.