Open Accessibility Menu
Hide
831-385-6000

Monterey County hospitals implement new visitor restrictions

  • Category: News, Press Releases
  • Posted On:
  • Written By: Mee Memorial Healthcare System
Monterey County hospitals implement new visitor restrictions

To protect patients, visitors, and staff, Monterey County hospitals are implementing new restrictions on visitors to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 to hospital staff and patients.

Beginning 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, August 11, in compliance with a state public health order issued August 5, all visitors to Monterey County hospitals will be required to:

  • Show proof of full* COVID-19 vaccination or
  • Show proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours before their visit (can be a PCR or antigen test)

Visitors who are visiting a patient in critical condition, when death may be imminent, are exempt from these vaccination and testing requirements but must follow all mask, personal protective equipment (PPE), and physical distancing requirements.

(*Full vaccination as defined by the health order: Two weeks or more after they have received the second dose in a two-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna or vaccine authorized by the World Health Organization), or two weeks or more after they have received a single-dose vaccine (Janssen/Johnson & Johnson).

Monterey County hospitals also have additional restrictions for visitors, such as limited visiting hours, masking, and the number of visitors allowed per patient. To see the full visitor policy for each hospital visit:

To see the full state public health order, click here. According to the order, unvaccinated persons are more likely to get infected and spread the virus, which is transmitted through the air. Most current hospitalizations and deaths are among unvaccinated persons.

With a significant increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Monterey County, vaccinations are the most effective way to help prevent further spread of the virus and reduce severe illness and hospitalization.

Monterey County residents and visitors can find testing sites and free vaccination locations on the Monterey County Health Department website: 2019 novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) | Monterey County, CA, or by visiting your local hospital websites:

We appreciate the public’s understanding of these changes as we seek to keep the community, our patients, and our staff safe from COVID-19..

###

ABOUT COMMUNITY HOSPITAL

Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, established in 1934, has grown and evolved in direct response to the changing healthcare needs of the people it serves. Its parent company is Montage Health, the umbrella for entities that work together to deliver exceptional care and inspire the pursuit of optimal health. Community Hospital is a nonprofit healthcare provider with 220 staffed acute-care hospital beds and 28 skilled-nursing beds, delivering a continuum of care from birth to end of life, and every stage in between. It serves the Monterey Peninsula and surrounding communities through locations including the main hospital, outpatient facilities, satellite laboratories, a mental health clinic, a short-term skilled nursing facility (Westland House), Hospice of the Central Coast, Montage Wellness Centers, and business offices. Find more information about Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula at www.montagehealth.org.

ABOUT NATIVIDAD MEDICAL CENTER

Natividad is an acute care hospital and trauma center providing high-quality health care to everyone in Monterey County, regardless of ability to pay. Located in Salinas, Calif., Natividad is a public health care system offering a wide range of inpatient, outpatient, emergency, diagnostic and specialty medical care. Founded in 1886, the 172-bed medical center has more than 10,000 admissions and nearly 50,000 emergency visits annually. Home to the area's only Level II Trauma Center, the hospital's specialized personnel, equipment and services provide a vital local community service that saves lives and keeps patients close to home. Natividad's Baby-Friendly® facility delivers 2,200 babies every year and is affiliated with UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals. It also operates an accredited Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, giving the tiniest and most fragile babies — some as small as one pound — the best chance for a healthy start. Through its UCSF-affiliated Natividad Family Medicine Residency, Natividad is the only teaching hospital on the Central Coast. For more information, please call (831) 755-4111 or visit www.natividad.com.

ABOUT SALINAS VALLEY Memorial Healthcare SystemSalinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System (SVMHS) is dedicated to improving the health and wellness of the region through an integrated network of health care initiatives, services and facilities. In addition to an acute care, public district hospital licensed for 263 beds, the system includes Salinas Valley Medical Clinic, a multi-location clinic expanding access to primary and specialty care, and offers 13 urgent care locations. SVMHS is one of the area’s largest employers with a staff of more than 2000, and is a leader in providing nationally recognized quality care. Collaboration is an important operating principle for SVMHS in such key areas as our Level III NICU which is operated in a joint venture with Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford; The Madison Clinic for Pediatric Diabetes, partnership with UCSF; Aspire Health Plan, Monterey County’s only Medicare Advantage program; Community Health Innovations and Blue Zones Project Monterey County, building a community where people live longer and live heathier. For more information, visit www.svmh.com.

ABOUT MEE MEMORIAL

At Mee Memorial, our highest priority is to serve the healthcare needs of our community. This includes offering an extensive array of services with a commitment to the highest possible standards, the best available technology, and the care of skilled healthcare professionals.

The Mee network includes a hospital in King City including emergency services, 25 acute care beds and 48 skilled nursing beds, and three comprehensive outpatient clinics; two adjacent to the hospital (Adult Medicine and the King City Clinic, for Internal, Pain and Family Medicine) and the Albert and Donna Oliveira Clinic, a full-service, primary care facility in the city of Greenfield. MMHS is the primary healthcare organization serving the rural communities of Southern Monterey County. Overall, our healthcare professionals serve a population of nearly 70,000 within an area spanning over 55 miles between the agricultural communities of Soledad to Bradley.