Capital Region hospitals have outlined their plans for coronavirus preparedness.

Referrals from primary-care providers are preferred for assessment and potential testing for COVID-19 at these locations:

— Albany Med: A white tent, isolated from the rest of the hospital, has been set up next to the emergency department at 43 New Scotland Ave. in Albany. Patients are to use the ambulance ramp from the corner of Myrtle Avenue and New Scotland Avenue;

— St. Peter’s Health Partners on the Albany Memorial Campus at 600 Northern Blvd. in Albany. Patients are to follow signs to the Conklin entrance. Testing is done from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.;

— Ellis Medicine: Prescriptions are required and patients are to drive up to the hospital’s ground level of the Rosa Road parking garage at 1101 Nott Street in Schenectady and remain in their cars for testing;

— Columbia Memorial Health has three different locations for testing: the emergency department at 71 Prospect Ave. in Hudson; CMH Rapid Care at 283 Mountain View Rd. in Copake; and CMH Rapid Care at 2827 Route 9 in Valatie; and

— Saratoga Hospital: A tent has been set up next to the emergency department at 211 Church Street in Saratoga Springs. Patients are to use the ambulance ramp on Myrtle Street. Specimen collection is by appointment only and must be ordered by a licensed health-care provider, the New York State Department of Health, or Saratoga County Public Health Services. There is no walk-in testing.

These hospitals are following guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the New York State Department of Health, according to a release from the hospitals.

 Visits

Hospitals throughout the region are strengthening guidelines for visitors and have begun briefly interviewing patients and visitors at hospital entrances. Visitors will not be permitted to enter if they say they have a fever or respiratory symptoms, have had close contact with an individual who has laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, or have traveled to areas with outbreaks in the past 14 days.

If non-patient visitors answer “yes” to any of those questions, they will not be permitted to enter. Patients with respiratory symptoms will be masked.

All of the hospitals have suspended routine visits to patients. While some exceptions will be allowed, no visitors under the age of 16 will be permitted entry.

Exceptions are made in some cases, such as for: obstetric patients who may have one support person at a time; neonatal Intensive Care Unit patients may have one birth parent plus one significant other who must remain in the room for the duration of the visit; patients at the end of life may have two visitors; and patients with disruptive behavior, in which a family member is key to their care, may have one visitor.

Also: Patients who have altered mental status or developmental delays (where a caregiver provides safety) may have one visitor; minors under the age of 18 may have one visitor, parent, or guardian; patients undergoing surgery or procedures may have one visitor who must leave the hospital as soon as possible after the procedure; patients who have an outpatient appointment, as well as those visiting the emergency department, may have one person with them.

Visitors who meet an exception will be allowed inside the hospital, but will be restricted to the patient’s room. Once a guest leaves a patient’s room, he or she must leave the hospital.

No visitor will be allowed entry to see a patient who has a pending or positive COVID-19 test. All permitted visitors will be greeted upon entry to all facilities and may be turned away based on the concerns of securing patient and staff safety.

Specific details regarding visitor guidelines or entrance restrictions may vary from hospital to hospital. Visitors should refer to the hospitals’ websites for guidance.

— Melissa Hale-Spencer