BATON ROUGE - The Ochsner Health System says it's easing up some of its restrictions on patient visits starting this week.

According to a news release from Ochsner, some of the changes include allowing legal guardians or spouses to accompany patients to and from the procedural area. Children will also be allowed to have bot parents visit their room, instead of the previous one-parent limit. 

Anyone entering an Ochsner location will be screened for fever and respiratory symptoms. In addition, all employees, patients and visitors will always be asked to wear a face mask while inside the facility.

A full list of the changes can be found below.  

-Patients with a scheduled procedure who require assistance to the procedural area may now be accompanied by one adult support person. Previously, staff would assist the patient in moving to the procedure area. Procedural visitors are encouraged to wait in socially distant areas during the patient’s procedure.

-Pediatric patients will be allowed to have both parents/legal guardians accompany them to and from the procedural area. This was previously limited to one parent/guardian.

-Patients having surgery are now allowed one spouse/partner or support person with them prior to surgery.  The visitor must then wait in a socially distant manner until a member of the surgery team provides an update at the conclusion of surgery.  Previously, visitors were not allowed inside the facility with a surgery patient. 

-Children (including Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) admitted to the hospital will be allowed to have both parents/legal guardians visit in the room. This was previously limited to one parent/guardian.

-In the most unfortunate of circumstances where a patient requires end-of-life/palliative care, they can have their spouse/partner and children visit.  This is not a change, Ochsner has allowed end-of-live/palliative care visitation since March.