Clinic Visits within the Hospital
New Entry Restrictions for Clinics located within San Joaquin General Hospital
Limited Exceptions for Clinic Patients:
The state of California only allows the following exemptions for visitors to:
- A person accompanying a patient to a clinic appointment
- A patient in critical condition when death is imminent
- A pediatric or neonatal patient
- A labor and delivery patient
- A patient with a physical, intellectual, developmental disability or cognitive impairment
- A person accompanying a patient in the Emergency Room
For subsequent visits following the emergent situation and as soon as reasonably possible, these visitors must comply with vaccine verification or applicable testing requirements within 72 hours.
San Joaquin General Hospital Visitation Rules as of August 11, 2021.
We are currently screening visitors at San Joaquin General Hospital to help keep the novel corona virus (COVID-19) out of the hospital. This comes by order of the California State Public Health Officer Order to protect our patients, staff and community.
In all cases:
- Visitors are only allowed if they do not have symptoms of illness(such as fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, muscle pain, sore throat, or new loss of taste or smell).
- Visitors who have had contact with someone with confirmed COVID-19 or are under investigation for COVID-19 in the last 14 days, need to delay their visit.
- Only 2 visitors, from the same household, will be allowed per patient.
- Persons under 16 years of age will not be allowed to visit.
- Visitors are to wear a properly fitting face covering and maintain six (6) foot distancing from other patients, visitors, and staff at all times.
- Visitors are to travel ONLY to and from the patient’s room. Waiting rooms and lobbies remain closed to visitors at this time.
- Visitors are generally not permitted for COVID-positive patients, except for in specific circumstances listed below.
- Our visitor guidelines are subject to change at any time, and changes may not necessarily be listed on this website.
Visitors Must Show Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination or Negative Test
In response to rising rates of COVID-19, the State of California’s Public Health Department has ordered new visitor requirements for hospitals.
Starting Aug. 11, 2021, visitors to San Joaquin General Hospital will need to show one of the following in order to enter our hospital:
- Individuals who are fully vaccinated must provide proof of full vaccination against COVID-19.
- Individuals who have not been vaccinated, or are only partially vaccinated, must provide documentation of a negative COVID-19 test within the previous 72 hours.
What counts as full vaccination:
Individuals are considered fully vaccinated:
- 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 (Johnson and Johnson [J&J]/Janssen vaccines).
Individuals are considered partially vaccinated:
- When they have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, but do not meet the definition of “fully vaccinated” above.
Proof of vaccination that we accept:
- COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card (issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control & Prevention or WHO Yellow Card) which includes name of person vaccinated, type of vaccine provided, and date the last dose was administered); OR
- A print or digital copy of a completed Vaccination Record Card; OR
- Documentation of COVID-19 vaccination from a health care provider; OR
- A digital record that includes a QR code that when scanned by a SMART Health Card reader displays to the reader the client’s name, date of birth, vaccine dates and vaccine type.
If you cannot find your proof of vaccination, the Sate Health Department’s Vaccine Record portal website may be helpful. https://myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov/
Proof of vaccination that we accept:
Visitors who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated must show documentation of a negative SARS-CoV-2 test, with the specimen collected within 72 hours before each visit. Those individuals may use either PCR or antigen testing.
Self-administered at home test kits do not meet the state requirement for purposes of visitation in the hospital.
San Joaquin County has an online resource for testing locations and information.
https://sjready.org/events/covid19/testing.html
For patient drop-offs and discharges:
For patients being discharged or dropped off for procedures or admissions, if there is no proof of vaccination for visitors or rides, patients will be received at the front door for admission and brought outside for discharge.
New masking requirements also in effect:
Our masking requirements for visitors have also changed. Cloth masks are no longer allowed, and visitors are required to wear a hospital-grade mask provided upon entry to the hospital.
As always, visitors are required to wear the mask covering both their nose and mouth for the entire time and length of their visit.
Alternatives to In-Person Visiting:
- Call the patient on a cell phone
- Use video calling services like FaceTime or Skype
- Use instant messaging services like Facebook Messenger or Snapchat
- Call the patient’s room through the main hospital switchboard at 209-468-6000
San Joaquin General Hospital can provide an iPad for a patient to video call loved ones (via Zoom or other digital platforms).