Utah hospital stops conspiracy theorists attempting to sneak in, disprove ICU capacity claims

Provo-based Utah Valley Hospital is implementing new precautions after several conspiracy theorists attempted to sneak into the intensive care unit, reports NBC affiliate KSL-TV.

Hospital administrator Kyle Hansen told the Provo City Council this week that five people questioning if the ICU was actually as full as the hospital claimed attempted to get inside, some with video cameras. 

It seems no one has successfully snuck in thus far. However, the conspiracy theorists have prompted the hospital to take extra precautions, said Mr. Hansen.

"You really can only get in if you're here for an appointment yourself or you have to be listed in a log that we track as a designated visitor for a patient," Mr. Hansen said. "But we've had some people get pretty creative in how they've lied about coming in for an appointment or other things."

The hospital has adjusted how it patrols entrances, Mr. Hansen said. The facility also receives "an inordinate amount of phone calls" every day questioning if the ICU is really full.

Utah Valley Hospital's parent company, Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare, released a Nov. 12 statement emphasizing that the situations with conspiracy theorists were uncommon, but take away from the care for those who need it.

 

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