DAYTON — While there are no known COVID-19 (or Coronavirus) cases at the Dayton VA Medical Center or any of our Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), the Dayton VA is adding new details to the visitor restrictions aimed at limiting COVID-19 exposure risk to any of our Veterans or their medical providers.

For inpatients, including our Community Living Center (CLC, or nursing home) residents, we cannot permit any visitors out of an abundance of caution for our Veterans who are most at risk of contracting COVID-19. We will continue, of course, to make an exception for any Veterans who have reached the final stages of their life. In these unique end-of-life cases, immediate family members will be limited strictly to the Veteran’s room only, to ensure the rest of the Veterans remain safe from possible infection.

For outpatients, we are permitting Veterans to bring one individual with them for assistance. This individual must not have any flu-like symptoms and must be 16 years of age or older. No children under the age of 16 can be permitted on campus at this time.

Additionally, the Dayton VA Medical Center is temporarily pausing our volunteer program for the safety of both our volunteers and Veterans. No volunteers will be permitted onto the campus, until further notice.

For our Enhanced Use Leases (EULs, or campus tenants who are not operated by the VA but provide services to Veterans), we continue to permit staff and residents to enter the campus, but ask them to join us in barring all visitors who are not medically necessary, out of an abundance of caution for our nation’s heroes.

We will continue to permit drivers, including busses, shuttles, Uber, Lyft, taxis, and others to enter the campus to drop off or pick up Veterans and staff. Flowers and food deliveries may be made at the front desk.

In all scenarios, visitors will continue to be screened at every gate. Those who have flu-like symptoms will be turned away, unless they are a Veteran requiring emergency care.

We thank everyone for their patience and adaptability as we undertake the vital work of protecting our vulnerable Veteran population during this global pandemic.

For more information about the Coronavirus, please visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html