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The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
Hospitals across the state are implementing visitor restrictions due to a rise in influenza cases that is reminiscent of Covid protocols from four years ago.
Ballad Health issued an advisory last week, effective immediately at all of its facilities in Tennessee, that limits visitors to groups of two adults per patient, and bans anyone younger than 18 from visiting altogether.
Exceptions are to be made only for those patients nearing end-of-life, family births, and minor patients at Niswonger Children’s Hospital. Anyone with “flu-like symptoms” – body aches, cough, chills, diarrhea, fever, nausea, runny nose, sore throat, or vomiting – are likewise prohibited from visiting.
The rise in cases of Influenza A is being blamed on “holiday gatherings.” Tennessee Conservative readers may recall that COVID cases were blamed on Thanksgiving celebrations back in 2020, prompting Governor Bill Lee to sign Executive Order 70 that limited public gatherings to ten people max.
Ballad officials are pushing both masks and flu vaccines as a way to mitigate the number of cases that they expect will continue to increase.
The University of Tennessee Medical Center and Covenant Health are also restricting visitors under 12 and anyone who has a cough, congestion, or an upset stomach.
With regard to Covenant Health facilities, the restrictions are to remain in place indefinitely with the policy only being updated when “it is deemed safe to do so.” The restrictions apply to hospitals, physician offices, patient care areas and include labor and delivery units.
The Tennessee General Assembly passed a law last year that guarantees anyone with a medical Power of Attorney the right to visit a hospital patient at least once a day for at least an hour per visit for the entirety of the patient’s stay.
The current restrictions being put in place by hospital systems are currently not at odds with the new legislation that went into effect last July but critics have said that requiring a medical Power of Attorney to guarantee visitation rights is a major drawback as most adults do not have one in place when being hospitalized.
By completing and having notarized an “Advance Directive for Health Care” — form available here – Tennesseans can have a plan that tells medical professionals how they want to be treated, even if unconscious. The form is also used to designate a medical Power of Attorney.
Lawmakers worked on getting the law passed after hearing stories of loved ones dying while hospitalized who were not allowed visitors during the nearly two years that Tennessee was under a State of Emergency.
Governor Bill Lee finally allowed his order to expire after almost twenty months in November 2021.
Conservative Republican members of the General Assembly have since sought to limit the power of the Governor.
During the 2023 legislative session, a bill was introduced that would remove a governor’s ability to re-issue an executive order calling for a State of Emergency. Instead, renewals would have to be processed by means of a House joint resolution. Movement on the bill ended when it failed to pass in the House Public Service subcommittee.
Another attempt was made in 2024 with Senator Mark Pody (R-Lebanon-District 17) filing a bill requiring approval by joint resolution in both chambers of the General Assembly before the governor could renew or extend a state of emergency order.
The bill was referred to the Senate State and Local Government Committee five days after its introduction but made no more progress after that.
While the Tennessee Department of Health says that the state is considered very high-risk for flu-like symptoms, Dr. Corinne Tandy, from the Knox County Health Department, says that the number of cases is in line with what is typically expected during influenza season.
Basic, commonsense precautions help prevent the spread of illness. Washing your hands regularly, not touching your face while out in public, practicing proper “cough hygiene” and staying home if you are feeling unwell are all effective strategies.
Influenza isn’t the only illness currently circulating in the state as Tennesseans are also experiencing cases of Covid, RSV, and Norovirus.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
4 Responses
Here we go again. After being lied to for years by the medical establishment. And all the recent evidence that all what they wanted the masses to do was absolutely useless. Get the jabs, wears masks, stay six feet apart, don’t gather in large crowds and etc. didn’t work. And now they have the audacity to tell us the same things again because of the flu. Come on! The flu has been around forever. I personally haven’t had a flu shot in decades and neither has my family. I put my trust in God and he has protected my family to this day. Ballad health of which has the lowest approval rating regarding health care is going back to these draconian measures. Same with “The University of Tennessee Medical Center and Covenant Health are also restricting visitors under 12 and anyone who has a cough, congestion, or an upset stomach.” Anyone with “flu-like symptoms” – body aches, cough, chills, diarrhea, fever, nausea, runny nose, sore throat, or vomiting – are likewise prohibited from visiting. There are many other reasons for symptoms like these that that are not caused by the flu. But just so we can control the masses and create fear. We will lump it all together. I love this statement also “While the Tennessee Department of Health says that the state is considered very high-risk for flu-like symptoms, Dr. Corinne Tandy, from the Knox County Health Department, says that the number of cases is in line with what is typically expected during influenza season.” No different than any other flu season. Did you get that! As for me and my family we won’t comply.
Joshua 24:15 NIV
But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord .”
Matthew 17:20 NIV
He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
In God we trust nongovernment or man.
Have a blessed day.
Why would anyone trust a jab from the same people who are still trying to euthanize most of the earth’s population with the last one? The flu “vaccine” is proven to be worthless, especially compared to true antivirals like hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin. The Zelenko formula of Vitamins C, D3, and zinc, along with quercetin or, preferably hydroxychloroquine or ivermectin, are proven to be a strong defense against all virus based disease.
Yup, lucifer’s Ballad “Health”.
This needs to be stopped. So sick of hospitals implementing this crazy stuff. Masks don’t work. Six feet apart is a joke. Claiming the holidays are the problem is a joke. I didn’t comply the last time and I am sure as hell not going to this time.