Saint Joseph London Limits Visitation Due to Concerns about the Delta Variant

Precautionary actions taken as number of COVID-19 cases in Kentucky increase

LONDON, Ky. (July 28, 2021) – As the number of COVID-19 cases in Kentucky begin to increase again, Saint Joseph London is following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and will be restricting visitation to help protect patients, employees, providers and visitors.

Starting Thursday, July 29, only one visitor per patient will be allowed during the day. Two designated visitors will be allowed in the women and baby unit. Additionally, no visitors are allowed in the emergency department unless requested by the health care provider.

The facility also continues to implement an earlier policy that anyone with a fever, cough, sore throat or other flu-like symptoms will not be permitted to visit. All patients and visitors will continue to be screened.

“Currently, the trajectory of COVID patient numbers unfortunately is going in the wrong direction,” said John Yanes, president, Saint Joseph London. “We’ve seen a steep increase in patients across Kentucky, much of it attributed to the Delta variant, which is far more contagious than other variants. While we recognize that these steps may be inconvenient, we are taking steps to keep our patients, visitors, employees and providers – and our community – safe.”

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Saint Joseph London has monitored the situation and implemented restrictions when needed.

“While the majority of new COVID patients have been unvaccinated, there have been a small number of breakthrough infections of vaccinated patients, although their cases have been milder,” said Yanes. “The vaccines we have available are the best protection against COVID. We strongly encourage everyone in our community to get accurate information, consult with your health care provider and get the vaccine.”

As of July 25, Kentucky has fully immunized 45.49% of the population; only 32% of eligible people in Laurel County have received the vaccine.

For more information on how to help prevent the spread of coronavirus, visit www.chisaintjosephhealth.org/novel-coronavirus.

About CHI Saint Joseph Health
CHI Saint Joseph Health, part of Catholic Health Initiatives, is one of the largest and most comprehensive health systems in the Commonwealth of Kentucky with 135 locations in 20 counties, including hospitals, physician groups, clinics, primary care centers, specialty institutes and home health agencies. In total, the health system serves patients in 35 counties statewide. CHI Saint Joseph Health is dedicated to building healthier communities by elevating patient care through an integrated physical and behavioral health delivery system. CHI Saint Joseph Health embodies a strong mission and faith-based heritage and works through local partnerships to expand access to care in the communities it serves.

About Saint Joseph London

Saint Joseph London is a 150-bed full service hospital located in London, KY. Established in 1926, the facility serves patients from southeastern Kentucky, including those from Clay, Laurel, Jackson, Whitley, Knox and Pulaski counties. The current $152 million regional hospital opened in 2010, and offers all private patient rooms, with most overlooking a small lake and garden on the 52-acre healing environment.