Officials with Carson Tahoe Health released new COVID-19 safety guidelines amid the recent spike in cases.

They said all regional hospitals are operating at nearly full capacity. Officials said they're using alternate care sites to allow them to provide the same level of care to their patients.

Effective immediately, elective and non-urgent surgeries and procedures have been postponed.

Emergency surgeries have not been suspended.

The lab and EKG services at Sierra Surgery are temporarily closed until further notice. For lab/EKG services, you can go to the Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center or Carson Tahoe Specialty Medical Center (lab only). All imaging services including the Breast Center are still open.

There is a tent outside the emergency department that is an extension of the emergency department. It is serving as an annex to triage patients. It'll be open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. It is not for COVID-19 screening.

Symptomatic testing is still being performed at Carson Urgent Care.

The main entrance and emergency room entrance at the Regional Medical Center are the only way for patients and guests to enter the facility. The main entrance is open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Before those hours, all public access is through the main Emergency Department entrance.

Officials are screening everyone for fever, cough or signs of respiratory illness at hospital locations. Face covering are required and social distancing guidelines are in place.

No visitors will be allowed with the following guidelines/exceptions:

• A laboring patient may be accompanied by two designated birth partners
• A pediatric patient may be accompanied by one caregiver or both parents/guardians
• An incapacitated, disoriented or confused patient my be accompanied by one caregiver
• ICU status patients will be allowed on visitor for 30 minutes during the day. For ICU status patients who have been put on comfort care, or are clinically deteriorating, additional family members may be allowed in on a case-by-case basis at the caregiver's discretion
• Children under the age of 12 will not be permitted to visit
• Isolation units will remain on a no-visitor restriction except if the patient is critically ill or deteriorating.
• Vented masks are no longer allowed, per CDC recommendation

For additional information, see the document below.