Valley Children’s Hospital. File Photo.

In order to protect patients, family and staff, additional screening precautions, visitor restrictions and program changes are now in effect at all Valley Children’s Healthcare locations.

“In all we do at Valley Children’s, the safety of our kids — and the safety of our staff who care for them — are our top priorities,” said Todd Suntrapak, president and CEO of Valley Children’s Healthcare. “We are committed to creating the safest environment possible for children to receive care and keeping our own staff safe is essential to ensure that we can continue to provide the care needed by so many Valley families.”

The changes come following concerns of the spread of COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus.

At this time, visitations will be limited to parents/guardians and direct caregivers of patients. Everyone will be screened at all entrances with questions regarding health and recent travel history and masks will be provided to symptomatic parents or guardians visiting their child, when needed. Other visitors and non-essential vendors will not be allowed.

As a precaution, Kids Day will be cancelled “in order to protect the health and safety of the more than 8,000 volunteers who signed up to participate and the tens of thousands of generous Valley residents who buy the special edition Fresno Bee sold on street corners from one end of the Valley to the other.”

Kids Day was scheduled for March 10.

“We are to thankful to the communities for helping for helping us provide hope and healing,” said Rob Saroyan, Valley Children’s Foundation president. “We thank the sponsors and volunteers who were already gearing up for Kids Day, understanding their disappointment and look forward to seeing them on Kids Day next year.”

In addition, the health care system is cancelling all corporate travel not related to the direct provision of patient care, instead opting for video and teleconferencing when possible.

Other upcoming events sponsored by Valley Children’s that attract large crowds of patients, families and community members will be rescheduled when this particular virus is better understood and controlled.