BRATTLEBORO — With an increased number of COVID-19 cases linked to the delta variant, Brattleboro Memorial Hospital said this week that there has been increased demand for testing and vaccines.
In a news release, BMH President and CEO Steve Gordon announced new policies and procedures in place “to keep our staff, patients, and entire community safe.”
BMH has moved its testing clinic to the parking lot in front of Brattleboro Family Medicine (behind Brattleboro House of Pizza on 417 Canal St.) and installed a separate freestanding facility which allows a return to a drive-thru testing model.
Earlier this summer, the hospital merged the COVID-19 testing and vaccine clinics into one venue, the COVID Vaccination & Testing Center on Fairview St.
“However, with the increase in the number of individuals coming to the Center for testing in the last month, we determined that we needed to make a change to the testing process,” Gordon wrote.
“This model was highly effective when we were set up behind the Richards Building, and we are happy that we can go back to it,” he added.
The vaccine clinic is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., while the testing clinic is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, 2 to 6 p.m.
Individuals can walk in or register at healthvermont.gov for both the vaccine and testing. Vaccinations are available to eligible patients who present for testing.
Other changes
• With the increase in Covid positive rates, Gordon wrote, BMH is now requiring that patients coming for a surgical procedure get tested for COVID-19. This includes patients that are vaccinated and those that are not vaccinated.
If you are vaccinated, you do not need to quarantine following the test. Unvaccinated patients will need to follow the quarantine process after being tested. Testing will be set up in the Richards Building. Pre-op testing will begin on Aug. 27.
• Gordon said BMH will also go back to testing all inpatients, regardless of vaccination status, beginning Aug. 27.
• The hospital has also had to modify its visitation policy, Gordon wrote, due to the increase in local COVID-19 cases. Now, only one visitor per department is allowed. Children age 2 and older are allowed and are considered a visitor. Visitors under age 2 are not permitted.
All visitors must wear a mask at all times while in the hospital, and they will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms at the main entrance of the hospital, the Richards Building entrance, and the entrance of the Gannett Building.