Visitor information
Updated Sept. 9, 2021
We are limiting visitors in UC Davis Medical Center to help keep the COVID-19 out of the hospital. This careful decision was made in an effort to protect our patients, staff and community.
Visitors will be allowed based on exceptions found below on this page. Please note the following:
- All visitors (including parents and guardians) will need to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken within the last 72 hours of each visit. See below for more details.
- Patients in the Emergency Department are allowed only one designated visitor who cannot rotate out with others.
- Up to two designated visitors are allowed at the same time at a patient’s bedside in the medical center. These visitors cannot switch out with anyone else. Read more under General Visitor Policies below.
- In all cases, visitors are only allowed if they do not have symptoms of illness (such as fever, runny nose, cough, shortness of breath).
- Visitors and caregivers (including parents or guardians) who are COVID-positive are not allowed.
- Visitors are generally not permitted for COVID-positive patients during the 10-day quarantine period except for specific circumstances listed below.
- Our visitor guidelines are subject to change at any time, and changes may not necessarily be listed on this website.
Thank you for your understanding. Please see below for more information and options.
Visitors must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or negative test
In response to rising rates of COVID-19 driven by the highly contagious Delta variant, the state of California’s public health department has ordered new visitor requirements for hospitals.
For both adult and pediatric patients, visitors to inpatient areas in UC Davis Medical Center and the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center will need to show one of the following in order to enter:
- Individuals who are fully vaccinated must provide proof of full vaccination against COVID-19.
- Individuals who have not been vaccinated, or are only partially vaccinated, must provide documentation of a negative COVID-19 test that occurred within 72 hours before each visit. Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated visitors will be issued an N95 respirator upon entry, and must wear it properly for the duration of their visit.
This policy currently applies to inpatient and outpatient services within the UC Davis Medical Center hospital building, and to the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Please complete the online screening survey before approaching the Guest Relations desk with the required proof of vaccination or negative test documents.
What is my vaccination status?
Individuals are considered fully vaccinated:
- two weeks or more after they have received the second dose in a two-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna or vaccine authorized by the World Health Organization), OR
- two weeks or more after they have received a single-dose vaccine (Johnson and Johnson [J&J]/Janssen vaccines).
Individuals are considered partially vaccinated:
- when they have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, but do not meet the definition of “fully vaccinated” above.
Types of vaccination proof that we accept:
- Completed COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card (issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or World Health Organization Yellow Card) which includes the name of the person vaccinated, type of vaccine provided, and date the last dose was administered; OR
- A print or digital copy of a completed Vaccination Record Card; OR
- Documentation of COVID-19 vaccination from a health care provider; OR
- A digital record that includes a QR code that when scanned by a SMART Health Card reader displays to the reader the client’s name, date of birth, vaccine dates, and vaccine type.
If you cannot find your proof of vaccination, the state health department's vaccine record portal website may be helpful.
Types of negative COVID-19 test that we accept:
Visitors who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated must show documentation of a negative SARS-CoV-2 test, with the specimen collected within 72 hours before the visit. Those individuals may use either PCR or antigen testing.
Any PCR or antigen test used must either:
- have Emergency Use Authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, OR
- be operating per the Laboratory Developed Test requirements by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Over-the-counter/at-home COVID-19 tests, such as BinaxNOW, can now be accepted for proof of negative COVID-19 testing if the test-taking is completed under the supervision and observation of our staff. This means a member of our staff must be watching or supervising you during the test-taking process.
We are not able to accept over-the-counter/at-home test results if our staff did not observe you during the test-taking process. For example, if you take the test at home or in the car, and bring the results to the medical center for entry, we will not be able to accept the results.
Sacramento County has an online resource for testing locations and information.
Patient drop-offs for procedures/admissions and discharges:
If there is no proof of vaccination for visitors or drivers, patients will be received at the front door for admission and brought outside for discharge.
Limited exceptions:
The state of California allows four exemptions to the vaccination or negative test requirement:
- Visitors who are visiting a patient in critical condition when death may be imminent.
- In emergency situations, parent or guardian visitors of pediatric patients (subject to other policies about numbers of visitors allowed in different situations, as outlined in the “Additional visitor information” tab later on this page).
- In emergency situations, a support person for a labor and delivery patient. See our labor and delivery visitor policies
- In emergency situations, a support person for a patient with physical, intellectual, developmental disability, or cognitive impairment.
For subsequent visits following the emergency situation, and as soon as reasonably possible, visitors who enter under one of the above exemptions must comply with the vaccine verification or proof that they have tested negative within 72 hours of presenting the test result.
At UC Davis Medical Center, visitors who enter under one of the above exemptions must also wear an N95 respirator for the duration of their visit if they do not have proof of full vaccination. In these cases an N95 respirator will be issued upon entry.
Areas not currently included in this visitor restriction:
Emergency Department and ambulatory/outpatient care facilities (except for UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, which is included in this restriction).
New masking requirements in effect:
- All visitors will be provided a hospital-grade mask that they are required to wear. Cloth masks are not allowed.
- Masks must be worn covering both the nose and mouth for the entire time and length of the visit or visitors will be asked to wait outside.
Visitors will be screened and welcomed between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., and visitors must stay in the room with the patient during the entire visit. Visitors may briefly access the cafeteria, while practicing social distancing and keeping time spent in public spaces brief.
- Up to two visitors may be identified by each patient before they enter the medical center. These two designated visitors are allowed at the patient's beside at the same time and cannot rotate with others. Hospital staff will note visitor names in their system.
- Visitors must check in at the Guest Relations desk in the lobby, where they will be given a visitor badge.
- For patients having surgery:
- For surgical patients whose visitors use the Main Pavilion Surgical Waiting Room (3rd floor) or the Same Day Surgery Waiting Room, each patient may have one adult visitor. Rare exceptions may be made to have one visitor in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) for a short period of time (10 minutes).
- For pediatric surgical patients whose visitors use the Children’s Surgery Center Surgical Waiting Room (2nd floor), each patient may have two adult visitors. Rare exceptions may be made based on the limited ability to have visitors in the Children's Surgery Center's Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) for short periods of time.
- Labor and Delivery patients may have up to two support persons/partners, depending on the situation. If desired, one preapproved doula can also be present if prior arrangements have been made with the hospital and the doula follows hospital personal protective equipment (PPE) and infection-control guidelines. View our birth center visitor page for more information. Call the University Birthing Suites at 916-703-3030 to begin the doula preapproval process.
- Patients who are at the end of life may have two loved ones at a time at the bedside, and may rotate additional loved ones on the designated visitor list.
- Patients who have an appointment at UC Davis ambulatory clinics, Cancer Center, laboratory or radiology may have one loved one with them.
- Visitors under the age of 16 are not permitted.
For COVID-positive patients:
- Visitors are generally not permitted for adult COVID-positive patients during the 10-day quarantine period.
- Adult COVID-positive patients at end-of-life or having physical, intellectual, cognitive and/or developmental disabilities, may have one support person (who is determined essential to care or deemed medically necessary), stay and quarantine with the patient, so long as the support person does not leave the room.
- Obstetrical/Postpartum and Labor and Delivery COVID-positive patients may have one support person stay and quarantine with the patient, so long as the support person does not leave the room.
- For pediatric COVID-19-positive patients: One asymptomatic parent/legal guardian may stay and quarantine in the patient’s room, so long as the parent/guardian has no more than mild COVID-19 symptoms. If a parent/guardian does leave the room, they can no longer stay with the child. (Meals will be provided.)
Patients in the NICU: If parents/guardians are COVID-19 positive or have any symptoms of illness, they are not permitted to enter the NICU. One caregiver will be able to visit as long as they are not from the same household with the COVID-19 positive parents/guardians.
In any of these scenarios, visitors will be screened for flu-like symptoms, i.e. fever, cough, sore throat. Visitors are required to wear a mask covering their nose and mouth for the entire time and length of the visit.
Note: These visitor policies are subject to change at any time.
Emergency Department patients can have one designated visitor (with no symptoms of illness) at the bedside. This visitor cannot rotate with other visitors.
For pediatric patients, two parents/legal guardians are allowed, and must remain at the patient's bedside.
No visitors are allowed under the age of 18.
Patients admitted or in the Admission Pathway or North 1 Unit may visit from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Note: These visitor policies are subject to change at any time.
Patients who have an appointment at UC Davis ambulatory clinics, UC Davis Cancer Center, laboratory, or radiology may have one support person with them. There may be some exceptions in limited pediatric situations or when another person is needed as part of the patient’s care team.
(These facilities usually serve outpatients, but may still be located on the medical center's Sacramento campus).
Masking policies will be in place for the entire time and length of the visit.
View our outpatient policy for caregivers at UC Davis Health clinics
Alternatives to in-person visiting
- Call the patient on a cell phone
- Use video calling services like FaceTime or Skype
- Use instant messaging services like Facebook Messenger or Snapchat
- Call the patient’s room through the main hospital switchboard at 916-734-2011.
UC Davis Health can provide an iPad for a patient to video call loved ones (via Zoom or other digital platforms).
More coronavirus information
Our goal in introducing these visitor restrictions is to protect you, your loved ones, other patients in the hospital and our staff. Patient and public safety are always our top priorities. Thank you again for your understanding during this difficult time.
For more information about how to stay safe during the pandemic, please visit our coronavirus information and resources page.