COVID-19 Notice & Information

Visiting Restrictions

The safety of our visitors, patients and staff is our number one priority. In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, GRMC is implementing visitor restrictions to reduce the spread of respiratory illness.

Visiting Restrictions Update – effective Sunday, March 22, 2020 at 6:00 a.m.

  • As an important step in limiting the spread of COVID-19, GRMC will be implementing a no-visitor policy with the exception of the following circumstances, only one visitor will be allowed:
    • Childbirth
    • End of life
    • Parent of a pediatric patient
    • Goodbye visit of military personnel departing for deployment
  • During this time out-patient surgery patients will need to arrange to be dropped off and picked up.
  • No visitors under the age of 13 will be allowed.
  • Those with positive signs of fever or respiratory infection, or who have recently traveled to locations of high levels of COVID-19 spread, will not be allowed to visit in the hospital.
  • The Central (entrance facing Court Street) and Emergency Room entrances have been designated as the main points of entry into the building so all may be screened prior to entering the building. The Central Entrance is open Monday-Friday 6a-6p and the Emergency Room is open 24 hours a day.

We appreciate your understanding of our need to ensure your safety and that of our patients, staff and physicians during this time.

FAQs on COVID-19

What is COVID-19? Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person. The virus that causes COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus that was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China. Patients with COVID 19- have mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of cough, fever, and shortness of breath. Some patients develop pneumonia and a small amount of these patients have fatal cases.

Has anyone local tested positive for COVID-19? For more information on the number of cases reported in Texas counties please see the Texas Department of Health and Human Services website at https://www.dshs.texas.gov/news/updates.shtm#coronavirus.

What is the hospital doing to prepare for COVID-19 arriving in our community? Guadalupe Regional Medical Center is carefully monitoring the COVID-19 outbreak and has a preparedness plan in place for identifying, triaging, and treating patients with suspected COVID-19. We are in close contact with the Texas Department of Health and Human Services (aka TDHHS) via a daily call and are monitoring Centers for Disease Control recommendations as this scenario unfolds. GRMC is actively partnering with local emergency responders and STRAC (South Texas Regional Advisory Council) on emergency preparedness in addition to communicating with the local medical community. GRMC is ready to activate emergency response measures if necessary.

GRMC will continue to:

  • Follow updated guidance from CDC/TDHHS for the management of Persons Under Investigation for COVID-19;
  • Use CDC recommended methods of disinfecting our facility with a focus on high-touch areas;
  • Take care of our patients and staff by providing education on updated CDC recommendations for use of personal protective equipment and other infection control measures; and
  • Educate our community on hygiene practices that support containment.

How can people concerned about the virus get tested locally? There is not a quick and simple method to test for coronavirus widely available right now. A test for COVID-19 can only be ordered by a physician with preapproval by the Local Health Department or DSHS Public Health Region to ensure the patient meets Person Under Investigation (PUI) criteria for testing to obtain DSHS approval to test. For more information visit https://www.dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/healthprof.aspx or https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/hcp/clinical-criteria.html.

What should you do if you think you have COVID-19? If you are experiencing fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, and you have been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19 or have traveled from an area with widespread or ongoing community spread of COVID-19 in the last 14 days, you should contact your health provider. If you plan to visit your doctor or local ER, call their staff ahead of time about your symptoms as they may alter their usual visit practices during this time.

How can I protect myself from getting COVID-19? Practicing proper hygiene is vital to containing the spread of COVID-19 since the illness is predominantly spread between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet) through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Wash your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds. Cover coughs and sneezes with the crook of your arm. It is important to avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands. Forgo shaking hands with people for a while, they will understand. At this time, CDC believes that symptoms of COVID-19 may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 days after exposure. People are thought to be the most contagious when they are they are most symptomatic (the sickest).

We encourage you to visit CDC and DHHS websites for the most updated information about corona virus.

Resources:

SA Metro Health COVID-19 Hotline: 210.201.5779

Available resource for area residents to call and speak with someone to get information on COVID-19 in English and Spanish.

Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00a – 7:00 p.m.  •  Saturday & Sunday 9:30a – 4:30 p.m.

Helpful links:

World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Texas Department of State Health Services: https://dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/

Centers for Disease Control:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html

CDC Quick Links:

Prevention and Treatment: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fabout%2Fprevention-treatment.html

Symptoms: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/symptoms.html

How it Spreads: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/transmission.html

What to do if you are sick: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/steps-when-sick.html

Common Questions: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html