Patients & visitors

COVID-19

Visiting hours

We have restrictions in place to manage visitors to our sites and keep our patients, staff and visitors safe.

Visiting our sites

We currently have restrictions to visitors to our sites.

From Tuesday 2 March:

  • Visiting hours are between 9am - 1pm and 3pm - 7.30pm
  • Emergency Department patients can have one visitor with them at any one time while in the treatment area, however no visitors are allowed in the waiting room due to limited space and to ensure physical distancing can be maintained.
  • All other inpatients can have up to two adult visitors (plus children under the age of 16) at any one time
  • There are no limits on the overall number of visitors a patient can have each day
  • There is no restriction on how long visitors are allowed to stay within visiting hours
  • Children (under 16) can visit when accompanied by an adult
  • There is no requirement for visitors to be from the same household
  • Patients coming for appointments or procedures must come alone unless they require a carer, due to limited space in waiting rooms and treatment areas.

Please maintain a physical distance of 1.5m wherever possible and wear a mask when inside our hospitals.

Exemptions

Exemptions to these restrictions can be given for:

  • Patients who are receiving end-of-life, terminal phase care
  • Patients who are children under the age of 18
  • Patients who have disability or behavioural needs where the visitor is supporting clinical care

Speak to your Nurse Unit Manager or care team if you are eligible.

Contact a ward

To speak to a ward, call our Switchboard on 03 9496 5000.

Visitors from exposure sites

The Victorian Government has introduced a traffic light system to help keep the community safe during COVID-19 exposures and outbreaks.

If you have been to a:

  • Red zone: You may not visit our sites
  • Orange zone: You may only visit our sites once you have completed your mandatory self-isolation period and have received your negative COVID-19 test result
  • Green zone: You are welcome to visit our sites

Find out the latest information on which areas in Australia are red, orange or green zones on Vic Gov Coronavirus: Victorian Travel Permit System.

Links and downloads

Screening

We are screening all visitors and outpatients entering Austin Health buildings, and have limited the number of entrances that people can use. 

Find out more about screening points for visitors and patients.

You can help us to speed up the screening process by completing our Visitor Registration form before coming to hospital.

Links and downloads