Kitchener hospitals to require visiting care partners to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 “Our goal is to balance the value essential visitors have in a patient’s healing process with the need to do everything we can to provide a safe environment for patients, staff and eventually volunteers,” said Melissa Skinner, vice-president of patient services and chief nursing executive.The exceptions to the new rule are essential visitors of:The hospital also added that a support person for women in labour or who are post-partum will be exempt.The new rule applies only to visitors and not patients.“No one will be denied care based on their vaccination status,” Skinner said.“Now it is more important than ever to take every step we can to.