Brooks Memorial Hospital is restricting visitation at this time.

Limits on visitors are being renewed, starting Wednesday, by the Brooks-TLC Hospital System in Dunkirk.

In a news release issued this morning, the health-care facility announced the return of early pandemic restrictions in visitation due to a direct result of increases in volume, the new wave of COVID in Chautauqua County, and loss of staff due to the vaccine mandate. “It’s a perfect storm,” said Julie Morton, interim chief nursing officer and compliance officer at Brooks-TLC. “We have no way of knowing who among our visitors is vaccinated and who is not. For the safety of our patients and our staff, we felt it necessary to restrict visitation, effective Wednesday, Sept. 29 and until further notice.”

The reinstated Patient Visitation Policy at the Brooks-TLC hospital campus is restricted with the following exceptions:

• Imminent end-of-life, expected within 24-hours.

• Labor and delivery with one support person permitted throughout the labor process, delivery and post-partum period.

• Pediatric patients, patients with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities and patients with cognitive impairments, may designate one support person to remain with them through their hospitalization.

As has become best practice, approved visitors will be screened upon entrance and required to wear a mask over both the mouth and nose through the duration of their visit.