If you are planning to visit anyone at an Abrazo Health center this season you will need to know about some restrictions.

Abrazo Health has implemented seasonal visitor limits for all of its hospitals because of the increasing number of flu cases being reported in Maricopa County. The restrictions will be in place during flu season at Abrazo Central Campus at 2000 W. Bethany Home Road, Abrazo Arizona Heart Hospital, Abrazo Arrowhead Campus, Abrazo Mesa Hospital, Abrazo Scottsdale Campus and Abrazo West Campus.

Patients at those hospitals can have healthy adult visitors who are not experiencing any flu-like symptoms including cough, fever, sore throat, runny nose, stuffy nose, headache or tiredness during the restriction period. Visitors under the age of 12 years old will not be permitted in patient care areas of the Abrazo hospitals.

Anyone who comes into the Emergency Department with flu or cold symptoms will have to wear a mask covering their nose and mouth. Sibling visits will only be allowed in post-partum units with no admission in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) or the Nursery.

Every hospital has “flu prevention stations” that provide hand sanitizer and face masks to help prevent the spread of the flu virus. Patients and visitors also are being asked to cover their coughs or sneezes into their shirt sleeves.

The appropriate hand hygiene before and after seeing patients can help prevent spreading of the flu virus. Visitors and patients need to wash their hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitizer.