Visitor Restrictions in Place

Duke Health Hospital Locations (Duke University Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital, and Duke Raleigh Hospital)

Adult inpatients may designate two support people age 18 or older for the entire length of stay in the hospital.

• Visitation hours are from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm daily.
• All visitors will be screened daily and required to wear a mask while in the hospital.
• No visitors are allowed to wait in the lobby or waiting rooms. Visitors should remain in the patient room and are discouraged from leaving and re-entering the facility during visitor hours.

Duke Health inpatients may identify one of their designated visitors to visit overnight.

• Overnight visitation is permitted by request from the patient.
• The overnight visitor must be one of the previously designated visitors. Adult inpatients may designate two support people age 18 or older for the entire length of stay in the hospital. The overnight visitor may not be an additional designated visitor.
• The overnight visitor must have completed their health screening at one of the hospital’s designated entry points by 9:00 pm.
• The overnight visitor must stay in the patient’s room. If a visitor leaves a patient’s room, they will not be permitted to re-enter until visitation hours begin again at 9:00 am the following day.
• Overnight visitation is not permitted in shared patient rooms.

Two parents/guardian visitors may stay with a patient in a pediatric area in the hospital.

• Pediatric surgical patients are allowed two parent/guardian visitors. Only one parent/guardian visitor is allowed in the surgical patient care area during pre-operative and post-operative care.

• One parent/guardian visitor may stay at the bedside of pediatric COVID-19 inpatients under investigation or confirmed to have COVID-19, regardless of the patient’s age.

There will be no visitors for COVID-19 patients or patients under investigation for COVID-19 in adult units, with exceptions made for end-of-life care.

Emergency Department patients may designate two support people age 18 or older to join them in the treatment area as capacity allows. Visiting hours do not apply to visitors in the Emergency Department.

Laboring mothers may designate two support people, which could include a doula. After birth, patients may designate two support people for the entire length of stay in the hospital. Visiting hours do not apply to these visitors.

Patients undergoing surgery who are same-day admissions may designate two support people to join the patient after their procedure and placed in their inpatient room.

Visitors who are over 65, pregnant or immunocompromised are discouraged from visiting.

Exceptions may be made only under special circumstances, such as end-of-life care, with approval by the patient’s care team and leadership.

Outpatient surgical patients are allowed one visitor to accompany them to facilitate care for a procedure or same-day surgery.

Pediatric surgical patients are allowed two parent/guardian visitors. Only one parent/guardian visitor will be allowed in the surgical patient care area during pre-operative and post-operative care.

Visitors will be screened alongside patients prior to entering the clinic.

The visitor will be required to remain in a designated waiting room during the procedure or surgery. 

One visitor over 12 years of age is allowed to accompany each patient to an appointment. Exceptions to this policy include:

• An additional aide, assistant, or caregiver may accompany a patient when their presence is required.
• An additional child/sibling may accompany the patient when a caregiver has no other reasonable option for childcare.

Any prior location/clinic-specific restrictions may continue to apply.

All visitors will be screened alongside patients prior to entering the clinic and must follow the restrictions below. 

All visitors will wear masks in addition to our team members and patients who can tolerate them. Visitors may bring their own masks or one will be provided.

If visitors are feeling ill, they should refrain from visiting. No visitor with fever, cough, cold, or flu-like symptoms will be permitted to enter.

All visitors will be required to pass a health screening at one of our designated entry points. These screenings require everyone to sanitize their hands, put on a mask and answer questions about symptoms of illness and exposure risks prior to entering the facility. Based on the results of this screening, visitors will be welcomed into the facility or asked to return to their car with instructions to follow up with their health care provider.

No one should visit a patient if they have come into contact with someone who is under investigation or tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 14 days.

Visitors are not permitted to eat in patient rooms.

We encourage you to use virtual means, such as FaceTime and Skype, to connect with your loved ones in place of in-person communication when possible.

We recognize these restrictions may be difficult for you and your loved ones. This is a challenging time, and the COVID-19 hospital visitor policy is intended to provide additional safeguards for our patients, families, visitors, and team members. Thank you for your understanding and support of our commitment to safety.

We are taking precautions to keep everyone safe and protected from possible exposure to COVID-19 during appointments, surgeries, and procedures at our hospitals and clinics. We are confident we can provide safe, essential care. The well-being of our patients, visitors, and staff remains our top priority. Learn about the safety precautions we have in place.