By Kim Se-jeong
Only one family member per patient will be allowed in the hospital emergency room (ER) beginning Sunday, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
The ministry changed the regulation earlier this week.
It also requires medical institutes keep the profiles of visitors for a year after their first visit, including their name, contact information, whether they have a fever or cough and their arrival and departure time.
The change also restricts a patient's stay in the ER to no more than 24 hours, in an effort to make room for other patients entering the ER.
This announcement comes almost two years after the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in May 2015. This raised the importance of restricting hospital visitors. The virus spread quickly because visiting family members got the virus and infected others outside the hospital.
Only one family member per patient will be allowed in the hospital emergency room (ER) beginning Sunday, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
The ministry changed the regulation earlier this week.
It also requires medical institutes keep the profiles of visitors for a year after their first visit, including their name, contact information, whether they have a fever or cough and their arrival and departure time.
The change also restricts a patient's stay in the ER to no more than 24 hours, in an effort to make room for other patients entering the ER.
This announcement comes almost two years after the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in May 2015. This raised the importance of restricting hospital visitors. The virus spread quickly because visiting family members got the virus and infected others outside the hospital.
![[INTERVIEW] Production company AStory expects great success with 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' franchise](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/06bfe09b25694aafbd347202cbad4257.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
