VA screening patients, visitors for coronavirus before entry

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - The VA is screening all patients, staff, visitors, volunteers, contractors and vendors before allowing entry to any facility, including local VA Medical Centers.

Screenings for signs of respiratory illness and COVID-19 exposure will be at the entrance of each campus until further notice.

As part of the process, everyone who enters the campus will be pre-screened.

This may lengthen entry times, so patients are advised to allow for that when arriving for appointments.

The screening consists of three questions:

1. Do you have a fever or worsening cough or flu-like symptoms?

2. Have you traveled to China, Japan, Italy, Iran or South Korea in the last 14 days?

3. Have you been in close contact with someone, including health care workers, confirmed to have the coronavirus disease?

Per CDC guidance and VA protocols, individuals known to be at risk for a COVID-19 infection are immediately isolated to prevent potential spread to others.

According to a VA spokesperson, no one in North Carolina has been denied access to any VA facilities as a result of the screenings.

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