Salt Lake City, UT -- (ReleaseWire) -- 03/09/2020 --Intermountain Healthcare is taking precautions to keep patients, caregivers, and the community safe with new visitor restriction policies at all of its hospitals, clinics, and InstaCares in Utah and Idaho.

The new visitation policy is modeled from guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Utah Department of Health.

The policy, which goes into effect on Monday, March 9, 2020, at all Intermountain Healthcare hospitals, clinics, InstaCares, and physician offices, includes:

- If you are sick, please do not visit or accompany a patient.
- Do not enter the facility except to seek care for yourself.
- Only two visitors or companions of a patient may visit at a time and we strongly discourage any visitors or companions under the age of 18.
- There will be no visitors allowed to patients who have confirmed or possibly have COVID-19 (novel coronavirus).
- Please wash your hands or use alcohol sanitizer before and after leaving a patient room, exam room and a facility.
- Speak with a nurse or receptionist about exceptions and special circumstances.

As a reminder, if you have any of the following symptoms or criteria of COVID-19:
fever, cough, and/or shortness of breath; recent close contact with a COVID-19 patient; or travel to an area where it is active, you may have been exposed to COVID-19.

You're asked to call ahead before you come into an Intermountain facility for care or call Intermountain Connect Care (intermountainconnectcare.org) for a virtual visit and assessment.