Reduced clinical services
Given the high number of COVID-19 patients and the resultant pressure on hospital and intensive care beds, Charité has reduced clinical services to an ‘emergencies only’ level. Services for emergency patients, cancer patients, and patients with urgent medical or welfare needs remain unaffected.
Important information on coronavirus
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic continues to generate new issues and regulations and give rise to important new information – also at Charité.
- What rules currently apply to visitors and persons wishing to accompany or support patients?
- What do patients need to be aware of?
A clear overview of the most important information on coronavirus and related matters can be found on our dedicated coronavirus page. This page also provides information on how to prevent infection with the coronavirus and outlines the steps which each of us can take to keep ourselves and others safe.
Rules for visitors and accompanying visitors
Due to the unstable nature of the current pandemic situation, Charité will amend its rules for visitors and accompanying visitors. From Monday, 27 December 2021, additional restrictions apply in all inpatient, day case and outpatient areas.
Certain exemptions will apply for visits to children and adolescents, visits to critically ill patients, individuals accompanying children and adolescents, and individuals accompanying pregant women. All visitors will need to provide proof of a negative rapid antigen or PCR test result, regardless of their vaccination or recently recovered status.
The aim of these measures is to prevent the virus entering and spreading through Charité, and to optimize the level of protection we have in place for patients, visitors and staff.
The following rules shall apply:
- Inpatients and day case patients will no longer be permitted to receive visitors – either inside or outside of Charité buildings. This restriction will remain in place until further notice.
- Outpatients must attend their appointments unaccompanied unless it is essential that they receive assistance from a carer/family member. Outpatients who require assistance may be accompanied by one person only. The accompanying visitor will need to provide proof of a negative rapid antigen or PCR test result obtained no more than 24 (antigen test) or 48 (PCR test) hours earlier.
Exemptions from this rule:
- Children and adolescents aged 18 and under who are receiving inpatient treatment at Charité may receive one visitor per day for one visit lasting up to one hour. Visitors will need to provide proof of a negative rapid antigen or PCR test result obtained no more than 24 (antigen test) or 48 (PCR test) hours earlier.
Children and adolescents attending either an outpatient appointment or emergency department are currently permitted to be accompanied by one person (a parent or guardian). Accompanying visitors will need to provide proof of a negative rapid antigen or PCR test result obtained no more than 24 (antigen test) or 48 (PCR test) hours earlier. Exceptions will be made for critical emergencies.
- Pregnant women attending appointments in outpatient areas may not be accompanied. Visits to postnatal wards are not currently permitted.
- Intensive care patients who are in a critical condition may receive one visitor per day for one visit lasting up to one hour. Visits are by prior arrangement only and must be agreed with the relevant ward’s nursing staff. In specific cases involving visits to palliative care patients, wards may agree to deviate from this rule. Visitors will need to provide proof of a negative rapid antigen or PCR test result obtained no more than 24 (antigen test) or 48 (PCR test) hours earlier.
Additional infection protection and control measures currently in force:
- Individuals hoping to visit or accompany a patient under one of the exemption scenarios listed above will require proof of a negative rapid antigen or PCR test result in order to qualify. Rapid antigen test results must be no older than 24 hours. PCR-based test results must be no older than 48 hours. In exceptional cases, the relevant clinical area may decide to conduct a rapid antigen test on site. Such arrangements must be agreed in advance and the relevant access control point must be notified.
- To gain admission to hospital grounds, all visitors will be asked to show proof of a negative test result. Visitors will also need to show an identity card or passport. Visitors will then be issued with a visitor pass or visitor armband and granted admission to Charité premises. Visitors who are unable to produce a visitor pass or armband will be asked to leave the premises immediately.
- Visitors and accompanying visitors must wear FFP2 masks without a valve at all times while inside Charité buildings and continue to keep a minimum distance of 1.5 meters from others at all times, also in outside areas.
- People with symptoms of respiratory infection will not be permitted within any buildings.
If you are planning to visit a patient in hospital, please arrange your visit in advance by contacting the relevant ward’s nursing staff. Please bring your identity card or passport with you to your scheduled visit. These will be checked at the entrance and your details recorded. You will then be issued with a visitor pass or visitor armband and granted admission to the hospital grounds.
The collection and processing of personal data is solely for infection control purposes, in order to ensure the safety of patients, visitors, accompanying visitors and hospital staff should an infection develop or be diagnosed at a later stage. All collected data will be erased after a period of 2 weeks. Please click on the following link for more information on the processing of personal data under the GDPR.
Visitors are advised that checks at entrances may result in delays. We apologize for any inconvenience caused. To minimize delays, please ensure that you have all required documentation ready for inspection.
You are worried you may have an infection. What to do?
Charité is one of the largest university hospitals in Europe. All of our clinical care, research and teaching is delivered by physicians and researchers of the highest international standard. Charité proudly lays claim to more than half of all German Nobel Prize winners in Physiology or Medicine, including Emil von Behring, Robert Koch, and Paul Ehrlich. Charité is internationally renowned for its excellence in teaching and training. Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin represents a single medical faculty, which serves both Humboldt Universität zu Berlin and Freie Universität Berlin. Charité extends over four campuses, and has close to 100 different Departments and Institutes, which make up a total of 17 different CharitéCenters. Having marked its 300-year anniversary in 2010, Charité is now one of the largest employers in Berlin, employing 16,300 staff (or 19,400 if including its subsidiaries), and with a total annual turnover of €2.2 billion (including external funding and investment grants).
