There have been some temporary changes made to the visitor policy at Memorial Health including Taylorville Memorial Health.  There has been a statewide increase in respiratory illnesses including COVID-19, influenza, and RSV, so Taylorville Memorial Hospital and the other four Memorial health hospitals in Decatur, Jacksonville, Lincoln, and Springfield will apply temporary visitor restrictions.  The restrictions are not going to apply to outpatient Memorial Care locations, including urgent or primary care and laboratory or imaging appointments.

Memorial Health is requiring that hospital visits be limited to two visitors per patient at one time.  All visitors must be 18 years of age or older and show no signs of illness.  To help prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses, cover your mouth especially when sneezing or coughing, wash hands frequently, receive all vaccinations, and wear a mask around others.

Most people who do suffer from respiratory illness recover completely in one to two weeks, but some people can develop serious and potentially life-threatening medical complications, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.  For more information about respiratory illnesses and how you can prevent it and what symptoms to look out for, visit the CDC website at www.cdc.gov.