Everett, WA -- Providence Regional Medical Center Everett will begin flu-season precautions for visitors at its hospital locations on Friday, October 30, 2009.  These precautions include:

·         Restricting children 12 years and under entrance to the hospital unless they are a patient or visiting a critically or terminally ill patient.
·         Restricting visitors to two people per patient in the hospital at any given time.
·         Visitors coming to the hospital who are coughing, sneezing, or have a runny or stuffy nose, or sore throat are asked to stay home.  If they must come to the hospital, they will be asked to wear a mask. 
·         Requiring visitors with a fever to not enter the hospital.

“Patient safety is of primary importance.  With the H1N1 virus spreading rapidly throughout the county, we are implementing visitor restrictions to protect our patients. It’s important to emphasize that with this early unprecedented incidence of flu, abiding by these restrictions are imperative to patient safety.  We’re asking the public to help us in this effort to keep patients safe and to minimize spreading of the flu virus,” says Preston Simmons, COO.

For more information on the current flu restrictions, visit Providence www.Providence.org/Everett.