Guthrie Cortland Medical Center is postponing elective surgeries until mid-January.
The hospital is part of a state effort to keep hospital beds open to treat COVID-19 patients.
Hospitals staffed for less than 10-percent of their beds available are being asked to take this step.
And Guthrie Cortland Medical Center is tightening its visitor guidelines as well with the surge in COVID-19.
As of today, all visitors must wear a mask and be screened for temperature and symptoms.
Updates Guidelines:
All visitors must wear a mask.
Visitors to a COVID unit must wear a procedural mask, gloves and gown. .
Inpatients may have visitors between the hours of 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Two visitors are allowed, and they strongly encourage that these visitors be the same two people throughout the patient’s day.
Visitors should leave the facility when not visiting a patient.
Visitors are also allowed in the following situations:
An OB patient may be accompanied by two persons which would include one visitor and a doula or two visitors if you do not have a doula.
A pediatric patient may have two visitors.
Surgical/procedural outpatients may have one visitor during intake and discharge.
Emergency department patients may have one visitor.
Other situations with extenuating circumstances will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Please do not visit if you have a fever over 100 degrees, if you have COVID symptoms or have been exposed to someone with COVID in the past 14 days. Only visitors age 12 and over are permitted to visit.
Guthrie is a non-profit integrated health system located in north central Pennsylvania and upstate New York, serving patients from a twelve-county service area.