New York Man Hid Coronavirus Symptoms to Visit Wife in Hospital Maternity Ward

A New York man with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) hid his symptoms from hospital staff so that he would be allowed to visit his wife in the maternity ward.

According to several reports, the man admitted to concealing his symptoms after his wife began to show signs of the virus shortly after giving birth. It is unclear whether either of the parents, or the newborn baby, have tested positive for the virus.

The incident occurred last week at the Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, which is part of the University of Rochester Medicine and Rochester Regional Health group.

On Monday, UR Medicine announced they would now be implementing stricter measures on hospital visitors. Hospital staff will be screening all visitors allowed into Strong, Highland and three other affiliated hospitals with maternity services for symptoms, including taking their temperatures.

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“In keeping with guidelines issued by the Monroe County Department of Public Health, UR Medicine hospitals have implemented a zero-visitation policy to further our efforts to protect patients and staff from the spread of COVID-19,” UR Medicine shared on their website, followed by a list of the limited exceptions, which includes one guardian for pediatric patients and one support person for obstetric patients.

RELATED: New York-Presbyterian Hospitals Ban Partners in Delivery Room Due to Coronavirus Outbreak

They are also enforcing that all staff, patients and visitors wear medical masks while in public spaces in their facilities, according to the Democrat & Chronicle.

UR Medicine first began banning most visitors from their hospitals two weeks ago, as several hospitals across New York do the same to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to highly vulnerable patients and their medical staff.

Last week, New York-Presbyterian hospitals and other private hospitals around the state announced that they were banning pregnant women from having partners in the delivery room.

However, that has since been reversed after Governor Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order so that all women can have a partner with them in the delivery room, whether they were giving birth at a private or public hospital.

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As of Tuesday afternoon, March 31, there are 75,795 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the state of New York, and 1,550 deaths.

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