[SINGAPORE] Visits to hospital wards will not be allowed from Thursday (Aug 5) to Aug 18, to reduce potential transmission of Covid-19 there.

The moves come after the Ministry of Health (MOH) detected more community cases recently, including staff and patients of hospitals. Covid-19 clusters have emerged at Changi General Hospital and Yishun Community Hospital since Sunday.

In a statement on Wednesday (Aug 4) afternoon, MOH said four patient groups will be exempted from this rule on a conditional and case-by-case basis.

They include patients who are very ill, patients who are babies or children as well as mothers who are due to give birth or have delivered.

Patients requiring additional care support from caregivers will be exempted as well from the no-visit rule.

MOH cited visitors helping patients who have mental incapacities and family members who are undergoing caregiver training to better care for their loved ones after hospital discharge.

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These groups of patients can have one visitor each day for a duration of no more than 30 minutes at the patient's bedside.

Said MOH: "For patients who are very ill, up to five pre-designated visitors may be registered, with a maximum of two visitors at the patient's bedside at any one time of no more than 30 minutes visit duration." Visitors who need to stay beyond 30 minutes for reasons like caregiver training will only be allowed after they have tested negative on a supervised antigen rapid test.

They should take the test a maximum of 24 hours before their visit.

MOH added that visitors to the hospitals should not use the patients' toilets, sit on their beds or eat or drink in inpatient wards.

All visitors to the hospitals must don face masks with good filtration capability at all times, the ministry said.

These include reusable masks that are made of two layers of fabric and surgical masks.

MOH also said all patients who are unvaccinated will be approached by hospital staff to get the Covid-19 vaccine if their condition permits.

Those who have received their first dose at the hospital are advised to return to the same hospital for their second dose, it said.

THE STRAITS TIMES