Covid-19: Rules for visiting SCC

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July 18, 2023	Updated the rules about visiting the Shizuoka Cancer Center
July 12, 2021	How to bring the items for the inpatient’s life in the hospital, and to pick up his/her laundry
July 12, 2021	The rules about visiting a patient in the palliative care ward under the pandemic with Covid-19
July 12, 2021	The rules about visiting a patient in the general ward under the pandemic with Covid-19

Rules about visiting the Shizuoka Cancer Center for the outpatients and the people accompanying them or visiting the inpatients, as the measures against the Covid-19 infection spread.

(As of July 18, 2023)

For preventing the spread of COVID-19, the Shizuoka Cancer Center ask the patients and their families to follow the instructions, but have changed some of them including the visit restrictions according to the number of vaccination times, in response to the transition of Covid-19 to Category 5 in the disease classification announced by the Government as of May 8, 2023.

However, once the cancer patients get infected, their risks for getting gravely ill and getting their cancer treatments suspended or postponed accordingly can be very high. Therefore, we believe the need for certain restrictions remains. Also, please note that the rules will change again depending on how the spread shifts in from now on.

We offer our sincere apologies if the rules inconvenience you, but at the same time, we would like to ask you all for understanding and cooperation to these rules in order to prevent the infection spread in the hospital.

Hours for the Main Entrance to the Hospital Building

Weekdays	Between 7:30 a.m. and 6:15 p.m.
Weekend & holidays	Between 1:00 p.m. and 6:15 p.m.

Limit to the people accompanying the outpatient

Purpose of the patient’s visit	Limit
First visit for consultation, or getting a second opinion	2
Return visit	Regular consultation, CT scan, endoscopy, etc.	1
Doctor’s explanation on the disease condition or the projected surgery	2

Purpose of the patient’s visit

Limit

First visit for consultation, or getting a second opinion

Return

visit

Regular consultation, CT scan, endoscopy, etc.

Doctor’s explanation on the disease condition or the projected surgery

We would like to ask for your cooperation in the regular measures against the infection including wearing a mask, filling in the health check form, and hand antisepsis. Thank you.

Shizuoka Cancer Center

The rules about visiting an inpatient or the patient’s outing as the measures against the Covid-19 infection spread: Palliative Care Wards (the 4th West & the Annex)

As of July 18, 2023

１．Patient’s outing and staying out overnight during the hospitalization

It is not allowed for an inpatient to leave the hospital for outing or staying out overnight due to the infection prevention, but in case the patient needs to do so very badly and the doctor approves it, it will be allowed. In such a case, please be sure not to take any public transportation.

２.　Visiting a patient during the hospitalization

It is not allowed for a common person to visit a patient in the palliative care ward during the hospitalization.
For close family members, it is partly allowed to visit a patient in the palliative care ward. Please refer to the table below at No. 3 for details.
It is not allowed to enter the hospital building to bring or pick up the laundry and the items the patient needs for the life in the hospital. The medical staff receives or delivers the things at the entrance on the 1^st floor for the palliative care ward on the 4^th west, and at the entrance to the annex for the patients staying there during the designated hours. Please refer to “How to bring the items for the inpatient’s life in the hospital, and to pick up his/her laundry” for more information.
Elementary school children or younger, when they can wear masks, are allowed to visit an inpatient within the restrictions described below, but it will be required to check on their health in advance. Please go to the medical staff and get more specific instructions about taking children for a visit. Any children who can not keep masks on are not allowed to visit the patient.

３.　The cases approved for visiting the patient in the palliative care ward

Purpose of the visit		Max. number of visitors approved per day
1) Regular visit	30 minutes at a time	5 (up to 4 visitors can enter at a time)
2) The doctor asks or allows the family to attend to the patient due to the patient’s acute deterioration.		1
3) The doctor needs to talk to the family regarding the patient’s treatment plan and condition.		2
4) The day for the hospital admission		1
5) The day for the discharge; the nurse asks the family to pick the patient up at the ward		1
6) The patient is moving to the palliative care ward (the 4th floor west or the annex)		1

Notes:

The visiting hours are between 1:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Entering the hospital building is limited to the hours after 1:00 p.m. For visiting a patient in the 4^th west later than 6:00 p.m., please enter the hospital building from the entrance on the 1^st
As for 5) above, you can not enter the hospital building or the annex unless the nurse asks you to. For the case without the request from the nurse, please stand by at the Main Entrance for weekdays, or the entrance on the 1st floor for weekends and holidays when the patient is in the 4^th After 1:00 p.m., you will be able to pick up the patient at the Main Entrance, so please stand by there. For picking up a patient in the annex, please stand by at the entrance to the annex.
We would like you to keep on following the anti-infection measures, such as wearing a mask, filling in the health check form at the entrance, washing your hands constantly, just as you have already been doing.

Thank you so much for your understanding and cooperation.

Shizuoka Cancer Center

The rules about visiting an inpatient or the patient’s outing as the measures against the Covid-19 infection spread: General Ward

As of July 18, 2023

１．Patient’s outing and staying out overnight during the hospitalization

It is not allowed for an inpatient to leave the hospital for outing or staying out overnight due to the infection prevention.

２.　Visiting a patient during the hospitalization

It is not allowed for a common person to visit a patient in the general ward during the hospitalization.
For close family members, it is partly allowed to visit a patient in the general ward. Please refer to the table below at No. 3 for details.
It is not allowed to enter the hospital building to bring or pick up the laundry and the items the patient needs for the life in the hospital. The medical staff receives or delivers the things at the entrance on the 1^st floor during the designated hours. Please refer to “How to bring the items for the inpatient’s life in the hospital, and to pick up his/her laundry” for more information.
Elementary school children or younger are not allowed to visit an inpatient. In case there is a good reason to do so, please go to the medical staff in advance to get a special permission.

３.　The cases approved for visiting the patient in the general ward

Purpose of the visit	Max. number of visitors approved per day
① The patient is in a critical condition. 1) The family receive an emergency call from the doctor. 2) The doctor approves the visit as the patient’s condition is worsening. (30 minutes at a time)	5 (up to 3 visitors can enter at a time)
② The doctor asks or allows the family to attend to the patient due to the patient’s acute deterioration.	1
③ The doctor needs to talk to the family regarding the patient’s treatment plan and condition.	2
④ The day for the surgery (procedure done in the operation room or endoscopic mucosal resection)	2
⑤ The day after the surgery (limited to a procedure done in the operation room; 30 minutes at a time)	1
⑥ The day for the hospital admission	1
⑦ The day for the discharge; the nurse asks the family to pick the patient up at the ward	1
⑧ The patient is moving to the palliative care ward (the 4th floor west or the annex)	1
⑨ The patient is in the pediatric/AYA generation ward (the attending family should wear an approval badge)	1

Notes:

The visiting hours for ①, ② and ⑤ above are between 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Entering the hospital building is limited to the hours after 1:00 p.m.
As for ⑦ above, you can not enter the hospital building unless the nurse asks you to. For the case without the request from the nurse, please stand by at the Main Entrance for weekdays, or the entrance on the 1^st floor for weekends and holidays. After 1:00 p.m., you will be able to pick up the patient at the Main Entrance, so please stand by there.
We would like you to keep on following the anti-infection measures, such as wearing a mask, filling in the health check form at the entrance, washing your hands constantly, just as you have already been doing.

Thank you so much for your understanding and cooperation.

Shizuoka Cancer Center

How to bring the items for the inpatient’s life in the hospital, and to pick up his/her laundry

As of July 12, 2021

Even close family members are not allowed to enter the hospital building for bringing the items for an inpatient. When they would like to do so, the medical staff receive them and pass them on to the inpatient. Also, when they need to pick up the inpatient’s laundry, the medical staff bring them from the hospital to the Disaster Control Center on the 1^st floor. Please see below for the details.

The items you can bring:

They include clean clothes for change, sanitary goods including diapers, and articles for daily life including tooth paste, etc. Any valuables including money, food or fragile items are not accepted. The contents of the bag you bring are examined by the medical staff, and the excluded items should be brought back home.

The reception of the items:

The reception and the pick-up of the items are done all at once, at the Disaster Control Center on the 1^st floor.
The items should be enclosed in one, durable bag. You should zip (or tie) the bag closed.
When you come to the Disaster Control Center, the medical staff will give you a reception card. Please fill it in with the inpatient’s name and the ward number. The medical staff will attach it to the bag to receive it.
When you only need to pick up a bag from the patient, please tell the medical staff the name of the patient and the ward number.

The dates:

You can bring the bag or pick one up twice a week, on the designated dates shown below.

East Ward between 4^th and 10^th floors: Between 1:00 p.m. and 5 p.m., on Mondays and Thursdays
West Ward between 4^th and 10^th floors, GICU: Between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays
Annex: Twice a week on the days of the week designated on the day of the admission to the ward.
If you can’t make it to the above-mentioned dates: Between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. on Sundays

During the holiday season at the end (December) and the beginning (January) of the year

Between December 29 and January 3, and on the national holidays in mid-January, the reception and the pick-up hours will be between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., no later than that.

You might have to wait in a line. Please try to keep a good distance from a person standing in front of you to prevent infection. And be sure to wear a warm jacket.

December 29: for West Ward between 4^th and 10^th floors, GICU
January 2: for East Ward, West Ward between 4^th and 10^th floors, GICU
December 30, 31 and January 1,2,3: Suspended

We are sorry for any inconveniences, but are grateful for your understanding and cooperation. Thank you.

Shizuoka Cancer Center