Atrium, Novant Health to lift visitor restrictions for children under age 13
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Starting March 27 at 7 a.m., Atrium and Novant Health will lift their temporary visitor restrictions for children under age 13 after two months of being in place for hospitals in North Carolina.
'We have observed a steady decline in the volume and severity of respiratory illnesses over the past several weeks. Together with other North Carolina health systems, we are making the decision to lift our temporary visitor restrictions,' said Dr. David Priest, senior vice president and chief safety and quality officer, of Novant Health. 'We thank everyone for their cooperation and support to keep our patients safe during peak respiratory virus season. We look forward to welcoming back visitors of all ages to our hospitals.'
Masks are optional and will continue to be available for visitors; however, for Atrium visitors, masks are required for all individuals in high-risk patient areas when indicated by signage and for symptomatic patients if outside their patient room.
'While respiratory viral season started late this year and we saw high rates of flu and RSV cases, we have seen a sustained and progressive decrease in the respiratory viral infection in our communities and hospitals over the past several weeks,' said Dr. Katie Passaretti, chief infection prevention officer for Advocate Health, of which Atrium Health. 'While this year's season is coming to a close, we must remain vigilant and responsive to any potential changes. Our focus remains on providing safe and effective care to all patients, and this decision is a testament to our collective efforts in combating infectious diseases.'
Both organizations continue to recommend that all visitors take measures to limit the spread of respiratory viruses:
Stay home if you're sick. Health officials strongly encourage people to stay home when sick, maintain good respiratory etiquette such as handwashing and covering the nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing.
Get vaccinated. Most importantly, get vaccinated against flu, RSV (for eligible children and senior citizens) and COVID-19.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
27 minutes ago
- CNN
RFK Jr. removes all current members of CDC vaccine advisory committee
US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday dismissed an expert panel of vaccine advisers that has historically guided the federal government's vaccine recommendations, saying the group is 'plagued with conflicts of interest.' The entirety of the 17-member Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices, which advises the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the vaccine schedule and required coverage of immunizations, will be retired and replaced with new members, Kennedy announced in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. The HHS secretary has authority to appoint and dismiss ACIP members, who typically serve four-year cycles. But removing the entire panel prematurely is unprecedented. Kennedy said that a number of the panel's members — traditionally pediatricians, epidemiologists, immunologists and other physicians — were 'last-minute appointees' of the Biden administration. 'Without removing the current members, the current Trump administration would not have been able to appoint a majority of new members until 2028,' he wrote. ACIP members are not political appointees. However Kennedy, a longtime critic of federal vaccine policy and vaccine safety, argued that the current group is rife with conflicts of interest and has not been transparent in its vaccine recommendations. ACIP recently considered narrowing the recommendations for Covid-19 vaccinations among children. Kennedy had previously pledged to Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana and chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, that he would consult with the senator on filling key roles on vaccine advisory boards. A spokesperson for Cassidy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The committee is scheduled to meet on June 25 to discuss vaccinations against Covid-19, RSV, influenza, HPV and meningococcal disease. HHS said the meeting will still take place, giving the agency roughly two weeks to fill its advisory panel. 'Appointing people this fast means they were not properly vetted, and there is no real time to check conflict of interests issues,' Dorit Reiss, a professor of law at UC Law San Francisco, told CNN. 'This will not restore trust in vaccines, and is not design to do so.'
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
RFK Jr. fires entire CDC vaccine advisory panel
RFK Jr. fires entire CDC vaccine advisory panel Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ousted all 17 members of a panel that advises the CDC on the safety, efficacy and clinical needs of vaccines Show Caption Hide Caption RFK Jr. says COVID-19 vaccine no longer recommended for some The COVID-19 vaccine is no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has fired all 17 members of a committee that advises the federal government on vaccine safety and will replace them with new members, the Department of Health and Human Services announced on June 9. At issue is the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices, which makes recommendations on the safety, efficacy, and clinical need of vaccines to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It comprises medical and public health experts who develop recommendations on the use of vaccines in the civilian population of the United States. 'Today we are prioritizing the restoration of public trust above any specific pro- or anti-vaccine agenda,' said Kennedy Jr., who has a history of controversial views on vaccines. 'The public must know that unbiased science—evaluated through a transparent process and insulated from conflicts of interest—guides the recommendations of our health agencies.' Kennedy Jr.'s decision marks a reversal from what a key Republican senator said the Trump Cabinet member had promised during his confirmation hearings earlier this year. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, the chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, said Kennedy had promised to maintain the committee's current composition. "If confirmed, he will maintain the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices without changes," Cassidy said. The Biden administration appointed all 17 sitting committee members, with 13 of them taking their seats in 2024. According to Trump's HHS, those appointments would have prevented the current administration from choosing a majority of the committee until 2028. 'A clean sweep is necessary to reestablish public confidence in vaccine science,' said Kennedy, adding that the new members "will prioritize public health and evidence-based medicine". and "no longer function as a rubber stamp for industry profit-taking agendas."
Axios
an hour ago
- Axios
RFK Jr. removes all 17 members of vaccine committee for CDC
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy on Monday removed all 17 members of the expert panel that makes vaccine policy recommendations to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, saying they'd be replaced with "new members currently under consideration." Why it matters: HHS portrayed the unprecedented move as "restoring public trust" in vaccines, but it's expected to introduce anti-vaccine ideology to the influential panel. The big picture: The Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices is comprised of appointees including vaccine and infectious disease experts from academic medical centers and other public health professionals. They evaluate vaccine data at public meetings and were due to meet later this month to discuss COVID-19 vaccines, among other topics. Kennedy during his confirmation process had promised senators he would keep the panel, without committing to maintaining its current makeup. Thirteen of panelists were appointed by the Biden administration in 2024 with terms that end in 2028. "A clean sweep is necessary to reestablish public confidence in vaccine science," Kennedy said in a statement. "ACIP new members will prioritize public health and evidence-based medicine. The committee will no longer function as a rubber stamp for industry profit-taking agendas. The other side:"CDC just lost all credibility in this space," one of the current ACIP members, who requested anonymity in order to comment, told Axios.
