Coronavirus Pandemic Causes Cedars-Sinai Medical Center To Ban Visitors

As 50 new cases of the novel coronavirus were reported today in Los Angeles County, one of the nation’s top ranked hospital is shutting its doors due to ever expanding pandemic

Long frequented by Hollywood, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has instituted a new policy that “no visitors will be allowed in any inpatient areas until further notice.”

Estimated to be treating COVID-19 patients in the double-digits, the Beverly Blvd-based facility brought the new measures into effect late last night as the City of Angels moved closer and closer to what many see as a total lockdown in the coming days. Among those receiving treatment in the last week at Cedars-Sinai was the sister of Matthew Broderick, who is in “full recovery” according to the Tony Award winning actor.

“At Cedars-Sinai, our top priority is protecting the health and safety of our patients, visitors and staff,” the non-profit hospital stated. “We have put in place new policies and guidelines to promote social distancing to contain the spread of COVID-19. These steps are critical to protecting the health of our entire community. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.”

Which means that the new normal at Cedars-Sinai will be no one who isn’t being directly treated will be let in except one visitor each for women giving birth, ER patients and people having surgery. “The number of visitors for end-of-life situations will be determined on a case-by-case basis,” the nearly 900 bed hospital noted today. Unsurprisingly, no one will a “fever, cough, shortness of breath, runny nose or sneezing” is allowed inside Cedars-Sinai unless they are a patient. Same rules apply for those who have “returned from a COVID-19 (coronavirus) high-risk country in the past 14 days” or have been exposed to the condition.

Additionally, all elective surgery and procedures are put on hold for at least the next two weeks in the sprawling Mid-city complex.

As overall cases of coronavirus top 7500 nationwide and more than 100 deaths, among those receiving treatment in the last week at Cedars-Sinai was the sister of Matthew Broderick, who is in “full recovery” according to the Tony Award winning actor. Janet Broderick is a rector of All Saints Episcopal Church in Beverly Hills and tested positive for COVID-19 in early March and went into Cedars-Sinai’s ICU soon afterwards.

Currently, the L.A. County Department of Public Health have identified 144 cases in the region as of this morning. A shelter in place order has not come yet, though officials seem to be leaning in that direction for non-essential workers. However, as COVID-19 tests are still widely unavailable in L.A. County, large-ish gatherings of more than 250 are a non-starter statewide, social distancing is in self regulated effect and civic figures have recommended everyone who can stay home right now.

Public Health officials today said they think the current climate of social shutdown could last from four to eight weeks, if the curve starts to flatten and local hospital capacity isn’t overwhelmed.