Local Hospitals Limit Visitors as Respiratory Illnesses Rise

Hospitals serving Greensboro and the wider Triad implemented temporary visitor restrictions on December 30, 2025, as state Department of Health and Human Services data showed a substantial rise in respiratory illness activity. The precautionary measures aim to protect vulnerable patients and staff amid thousands of emergency-department admissions for respiratory conditions and flu-related deaths reported to the state between October and mid-December 2025.

Novant Health, which operates facilities in the Greensboro area, asked visitors not to bring children younger than 13 into its hospitals beginning December 30, unless the child is the patient or is visiting a newborn sibling. Visitors with flu-like symptoms were asked to postpone visits or stay home. AdventHealth announced a similar policy, barring visitors under age 18 unless they are seeking medical treatment and asking anyone with respiratory symptoms to notify staff or delay their visit.

Hospitals described the steps as temporary and precautionary, taken to limit transmission in clinical settings where patients may be especially susceptible to severe illness. The policies may affect planned visits, family support arrangements and routine patient accompaniment at emergency departments and inpatient units across Guilford County.

Residents who expect to seek care or visit someone in a local hospital should call ahead to confirm current visitor rules and screening procedures, arrange alternative support when possible and plan for potential delays when bringing children. New parents should note the exception for newborn sibling visits under the Novant guidance but should also check each facility’s specific protocols before arriving.

Public-health officials and hospital spokespeople emphasized common-sense preventive measures to reduce spread: frequent handwashing, staying home when ill, masking in clinical settings when recommended and keeping up to date on vaccinations for influenza, COVID-19 and RSV as appropriate. These actions can help reduce strain on emergency departments and protect people at higher risk of complications.

The visitor restrictions underscore a seasonal surge in respiratory viruses this year and the need for extra caution in health-care settings. Guilford County residents should monitor guidance from their health-care providers and prioritize vaccination and sick-leave plans to limit exposure to family members and patients in hospitals until activity subsides.