An entrance of St. Charles Bend seen here in 2020.

Beginning Monday, St. Charles Health System will make a number of visitor policy changes related to COVID-19 in its hospitals.

Visitors to the hospitals will no longer be required to show proof of vaccination, but masks will still be mandatory. New signs will be posted at hospital entrances encouraging certain visitors to leave the building, including people with respiratory symptoms, those with a pending COVID-19 test, or those who have been in contact with a person suspected of having COVID-19 in the past 14 days, St. Charles Health System said Thursday in a news release.

Visitor screening will not apply to those seeking medical treatment or COVID-19 testing.

Another policy change will allow patients who have COVID-19 two visitors at a time. They may come and go from the hospital as needed. There will be an exception related to patients in the emergency department, where only one visitor will be allowed.

In some cases, visitors may be required to wear additional personal protective equipment for their safety.

“Two years ago, we instituted visitor restrictions to keep our caregivers and patients safe,” said Debbie Robinson, the chief nursing officer at St. Charles Bend. “We’re in a different place now. The number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are low in our community, and we have vaccines and many effective treatments available.”

Door screeners will continue to be posted at hospital entrances through April 8 to help educate the community as the transition unfolds, the health system added.

On Thursday, St. Charles Bend reported eight patients with COVID-19, none of whom was in the ICU.

St. Charles Health System operates hospitals in Bend, Redmond, Prineville and Madras.