Maine’s largest hospital will cut back the number of people allowed to visit patients as the state experiences an increase in COVID-19 cases.

Starting Monday, adult inpatients at Maine Medical Center in Portland will be limited to one visitor per day, the hospital said in a news release Saturday.

“These changes are aimed at protecting MMC’s patients and team members as community transmission of COVID-19 begins to rise,” it said.

Adults being treated in the hospital may have only one visitor between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., although there is no time limit to their visit.

Face masks are required in all Maine Medical Center facilities, as is social distancing and hand hygiene whenever possible, the hospital said.

Maine recorded 165 new COVID-19 cases and one death from the disease on Saturday. Piscataquis and Waldo counties were considered to have a high level of community transmission of the disease, while five others, including Cumberland and York counties, were considered to have substantial transmission.

Maine Medical Center’s other visitation policies remain unchanged at this time, the hospital said. There are no limits to the number of visitors for obstetric and pediatric patients, although only two people are allowed to visit at one time.

Emergency department visits are limited to one person with an adult patient and two people with a child. Adult patients for ambulatory or diagnostic visits should plan to be dropped off and picked up, except for children, who may be accompanied by up to two adults.

No visitors are allowed in the hospital’s COVID-19 units except for compassionate care managed by care team members. Visitors for end-of-life situations will also be managed by team members, the hospital said.

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