CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill and UNC REX Hospital in Raleigh are implementing new visitor restrictions in order to protect patients from the flu.

• Beginning Friday, Jan. 11, children ages 11 years old and younger are prohibited from visiting inpatients at UNC REX Hospital in Raleigh (including patients in the Emergency Department), and all oncology outpatient areas. Similar visitor restrictions were already in place for the UNC REX Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), with visits restricted to parents and grandparents only.
• Beginning Monday, Jan. 14, children ages 11 years old and younger are prohibited from visiting inpatients and inpatient waiting rooms at UNC Hospitals (including the Chapel Hill, Hillsborough and Wakebrook campuses, but excluding inpatient hospice) and are prohibited from perioperative waiting rooms at UNC Medical Center and Hillsborough Hospital. These restrictions were previously in place for the Newborn Critical Care Center (NCCC), Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), 5 Children’s/Intermediate Care (5CH) and Bone Marrow Transplant Unit (BMTU) at UNC Hospitals.

Children who wish to visit are encouraged to simply write letters or emails instead. The hospitals also recommend Skype or FaceTime as a means of staying in touch with loved ones who may be patients.

For more information about flu symptoms, prevention and treatment, visit UNC Health Talk or NC DHHS's site for flu tips.