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The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
Hospitals across the state are implementing visitor restrictions due to a rise in influenza cases that is reminiscent of Covid protocols from four years ago.
Ballad Health issued an advisory last week, effective immediately at all of its facilities in Tennessee, that limits visitors to groups of two adults per patient, and bans anyone younger than 18 from visiting altogether.
Exceptions are to be made only for those patients nearing end-of-life, family births, and minor patients at Niswonger Children’s Hospital. Anyone with “flu-like symptoms” – body aches, cough, chills, diarrhea, fever, nausea, runny nose, sore throat, or vomiting – are likewise prohibited from visiting.
The rise in cases of Influenza A is being blamed on “holiday gatherings.” Tennessee Conservative readers may recall that COVID cases were blamed on Thanksgiving celebrations back in 2020, prompting Governor Bill Lee to sign Executive Order 70 that limited public gatherings to ten people max.
Ballad officials are pushing both masks and flu vaccines as a way to mitigate the number of cases that they expect will continue to increase.
The University of Tennessee Medical Center and Covenant Health are also restricting visitors under 12 and anyone who has a cough, congestion, or an upset stomach.
With regard to Covenant Health facilities, the restrictions are to remain in place indefinitely with the policy only being updated when “it is deemed safe to do so.” The restrictions apply to hospitals, physician offices, patient care areas and include labor and delivery units.
The Tennessee General Assembly passed a law last year that guarantees anyone with a medical Power of Attorney the right to visit a hospital patient at least once a day for at least an hour per visit for the entirety of the patient’s stay.
The current restrictions being put in place by hospital systems are currently not at odds with the new legislation that went into effect last July but critics have said that requiring a medical Power of Attorney to guarantee visitation rights is a major drawback as most adults do not have one in place when being hospitalized.
By completing and having notarized an “Advance Directive for Health Care” — form available here – Tennesseans can have a plan that tells medical professionals how they want to be treated, even if unconscious. The form is also used to designate a medical Power of Attorney.
Lawmakers worked on getting the law passed after hearing stories of loved ones dying while hospitalized who were not allowed visitors during the nearly two years that Tennessee was under a State of Emergency.
Governor Bill Lee finally allowed his order to expire after almost twenty months in November 2021.
Conservative Republican members of the General Assembly have since sought to limit the power of the Governor.
During the 2023 legislative session, a bill was introduced that would remove a governor’s ability to re-issue an executive order calling for a State of Emergency. Instead, renewals would have to be processed by means of a House joint resolution. Movement on the bill ended when it failed to pass in the House Public Service subcommittee.
Another attempt was made in 2024 with Senator Mark Pody (R-Lebanon-District 17) filing a bill requiring approval by joint resolution in both chambers of the General Assembly before the governor could renew or extend a state of emergency order.
The bill was referred to the Senate State and Local Government Committee five days after its introduction but made no more progress after that.
While the Tennessee Department of Health says that the state is considered very high-risk for flu-like symptoms, Dr. Corinne Tandy, from the Knox County Health Department, says that the number of cases is in line with what is typically expected during influenza season.
Basic, commonsense precautions help prevent the spread of illness. Washing your hands regularly, not touching your face while out in public, practicing proper “cough hygiene” and staying home if you are feeling unwell are all effective strategies.
Influenza isn’t the only illness currently circulating in the state as Tennesseans are also experiencing cases of Covid, RSV, and Norovirus.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
