Portland, Maine (March 15, 2020) – Northern Light Mercy Hospital has announced steps it is taking to reduce the spread of COVID-19 exposure to patients, visitors, and staff. It has updated its visitor policy and limited access points to one entrance at each of its hospitals. Mercy is also rolling out an appointment-only COVID-19 remote testing site for its patients in order to limit exposure at its clinics and emergency department.
“We know the important role that family and friends play in the care and recovery process at our facilities,” said Charlie Therrien, president of Mercy Hospital. “We are taking these steps in order to continue to provide care in the safest environment possible—for our patients and our hospital staff. Combined, they are necessary to reduce community spread, especially to the most vulnerable patients who are receiving care at our hospitals.”
Entrances that will be open at Mercy’s two hospitals:
- 144 State Street hospital: Spring Street entrance
- 175 Fore River Parkway hospital: main entrance
Temporary updates to Mercy’s visitor policies include:
- There is a limit of one visitor per patient.
- No visitors under the age of 18, since young people are potential infectors without necessarily being ill themselves.
- Visitors will be screened for flu-like symptoms, such as fever, cough, or sore throat.
- Visitors with obvious signs of illness will be asked to kindly leave.
Appointment-only remote COVID-19 testing:
In an effort to reduce community spread at its clinics, Mercy has established an appointment-only drive through COVID testing site on its Fore River campus that is separate from the hospital. It’s important to note that this testing site is only available by appointment, and patients should contact their primary care provider to determine if a test is necessary.
Additionally, Mercy has discontinued public use of its conference rooms and auditoriums until further notice.
