Visiting restrictions rolled back at Colchester Hospital
It means patients will be able to have one visitor for an hour a day.
Patients at Colchester Hospital are now able have visitors once again, with restrictions being rolled back from this morning
People have been unable to visit patients on wards since the start of the year because of Covid-19, unless there were exceptional circumstances.
However, patients are now allowed to have one visitor for an hour a day, as long as they've been admitted for at least 24 hours.
Visitors will have to call ahead to book a visiting time and are being urged to take a lateral flow test before coming on to the hospital site.
People are also being advised to be vaccinated against Covid-19 and to have had their booster shot.
Hospital bosses say the visitor must be the same person for the duration of the time someone is in hopsital, however another person may visit if that person tests positive for Covid-19.
Children are still unable to visit wards, except in excpetional circumstances.
The new visiting rules will also apply for patients at Harwich Hospital, Clacton Hospital and Halstead Hospital.
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust Chief Executive Nick Hulme said: “I’m delighted that we are now able to cautiously reintroduce visiting in all our hospital sites.
“We recognise the significant upset not having visitors can cause to patients and their families and suspending visiting is never an easy decision for us.
"However, our priority is always to keep everyone safe, whether they’re in our care, visiting someone they love, or they’re at work.
“That’s why we remain cautious and why we are insisting certain precautions are taken by visitors, including taking a lateral flow test before coming to our hospitals and being vaccinated against COVID-19.
“As ever, we will keep all our decisions around visiting under constant review.”