Suburban hospital limits who's allowed in emergency room due to rise in respiratory illnesses

Health & Wellness Suburban hospital limits who's allowed in emergency room due to rise in respiratory illnesses The move was "due to increased patient volumes and respiratory illness in our community," the hospital said. By Alex Dvorak • Published November 6, 2026 • Updated on November 6, 2026 at 1:32 pm A suburban Chicago hospital announced plans to limit support people waiting in its emergency room as respiratory virus cases climb. Silver Cross Hospital on Thursday issued an alert saying "patients in the Emergency Department are limited to one support person in the waiting room at this time." Stream NBC 5 for free, 24/7, wherever you are. WATCH HERE The move was "due to increased patient volumes and respiratory illness in our community," the hospital said. It also encouraged anyone with non-life threatening injuries or illnesses to consider visiting one of their other locations in suburbs like Orland Park, Crest Hill, Lemont and more. Earlier this week, the hospital said it was restricting NICU visitation for anyone under 18 years old. "Visitors who are 18 years or older and in good health are welcome with a banded person. This policy helps us maintain a safe environment for our babies and families," the hospital said, once again citing a rise in respiratory illnesses. Local Chicago Bears 4 hours ago 10-year-old Bears fan podcasters attend their first game CTA 5 hours ago CTA bus driver kidnapping renews concerns over transit worker safety Despite the measures being taken, the Illinois Department of Public Health still lists Illinois' respiratory virus level at "low," citing date from the week of Oct. 18-24. But hospital admissions were starting to trend upward. Flu season did start earlier than usual this year, according to federal experts, and numbers were higher than what's typical for October. However, medical experts in the Chicago area reported a rise in rhino enterovirus being seen. "You probably have rhino enterovirus, and probably not influenza. There is a pretty nasty round of rhino entero going around right now," said Dr. Emily Landon, the Executive Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control at UChicago. Northwestern Medicine says flu and COVID cases are "slightly higher than usual" for this time of year. Rush University Medical Center said there is not one illness spiking but did confirm flu season started early. Landon also said there are some "waning cases from a late summer bump in COVID," but that numbers are decreasing. This article tagged under: Health & Wellness