But on Saturday, state officials announced plans for an executive order to allow women to have one visitor.
“In no hospital in New York will a woman be forced to be alone when she gives birth. Not now, not ever,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo tweeted Saturday.
The health department said it “considers one support person essential to patient care throughout labor, delivery, and the immediate postpartum period.”
But some hospitals were ignoring that guidance, Cuomo’s seceretary Melissa DeRosa said.
So on Friday, that guidance was turned into a directive, DeRosa said. She said an executive order will follow.
“Starting immediately, one birthing partner or support person will be allowed to be with our obstetric patients during labor and delivery,” the hospital system tweeted Saturday.
“Our highest priority continues to be the safety and wellbeing of our mothers, babies, their families, and our staff.”
But visitors to delivery rooms must be screened for coronavirus, the state health department said.
“Additionally, hospital staff must screen the support person for symptoms of COVID-19 (e.g., fever, cough, or shortness of breath), conduct a temperature check prior to entering the clinical area, and every twelve hours thereafter, and screen for potential exposures to individuals testing positive for COVID-19.”
CNN’s Michael Nedelman and Laura Ly contributed to this report.