As Of Today, Huntington Hospital Visitors Must Show COVID-19 Vaccination or Proof of Recent Negative Test

In compliance with a new state public health order, Huntington Hospital will require visitors to show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 or a negative test result within three days of visiting beginning Wednesday, the hospital has announced.

The policy change comes on the heels of an order from the California Department of Public Health issued on Thursday calling for the precautions.

“Huntington Hospital will comply with the new state order that further encourages healthcare workers to receive a vaccine,” representatives said in a written statement. “Like many other hospitals in California, we are exploring the best ways to operationalize this new order, including careful and thorough evaluation of medical and religious accommodations, while we continue to reinforce the importance of vaccination.”

Some exceptions are possible.

“Visitors who are visiting a patient in critical condition, when death may be imminent, are exempt from the vaccination and testing requirements of this order,” according to the policy.

Fully vaccinated visitors will be required to show a valid COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card, a photo of the vaccination record, a digital health record, or documentation from a vaccination or healthcare provider, officials said.

People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving their second dose of two-dose vaccine regimens from Pfizer and Moderna, or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson formulation.

Those who are not vaccinated, or not fully vaccinated, “are eligible for indoor visits only if they can show documentation of a negative SARS-CoV-2 test where the specimen collection occurred within 72 hours before each visit and for which the test results are available at the time of entry to the facility,” the policy states.

All visitors, regardless of vaccination status, must wear masks and maintain social distance with others not in their group while in the facility.

“The health and safety of our hospital workforce and our patients is our overarching priority. We strongly encourage everyone to receive the vaccine, as vaccination is the single most effective way to prevent severe illness and death from COVID-19,” according to the hospital statement.

Huntington Hospital has long been at the forefront of the vaccination push, representatives said.

“From the advent of the COVID-19 vaccine, Huntington Hospital was at the frontlines of providing healthcare workers early access to the vaccine and went on to help vaccinate our community via a hospital vaccine clinic as well as many community pop-up sites in under-served areas,” the statement said. “Our ongoing advocacy for vaccination includes education and targeted outreach to the vaccine-hesitant.”

More details on Huntington Hospital’s visitation policy are available online at huntingtonhospital.org/in-the-news/vaccination-requirements-for-hospital-visitation-per-california-department-of-public-health-order.

Digital vaccine records can be accessed online at myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov.

A list of local COVID-19 testing locations can be found at covid19.lacounty.gov/testing.

Vaccination appointments can be reserved online at myturn.ca.gov.