Pete DeMola is reporting for the Times Union that St. Peter's Health Partners began limiting visitors to its hospitals April 24, due to the increasing COVID-19 numbers. Patients will be allowed one visitor per day in their room during visitation hours, according to the new guidelines. COVID-19 patients undergoing “continuous aerosol-generating procedures” will be permitted one unique visitor per day for one hour. The guidelines are relaxed in some situations, including for those related to birth and end-of-life and hospice care. Visitors are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated and face masks are required. The visitation guidelines will be in effect at St. Peter's, Samaritan, and Sunnyview Rehabilitation hospitals, as well as the Albany Memorial Samaritan campus. The hospitals announced the restrictions as Albany County is reporting higher coronavirus numbers. On April 22, four new deaths were announced, adding to the more than 500 new cases reported in a four-day period last week. Statewide, the seven-day average is 32 new positive cases per 100,000, a level not seen since February 8. Two omicron subvariants are being blamed for the recent high case counts, which started in Central New York. In the Capital Region, newly confirmed COVID-19 cases are slightly higher than the state average, at 34 cases per 100,000 people. St. Peter's said it will also resume pre-procedural testing. Beginning this week, "any patient scheduled for a procedure at one of our hospitals will be required to undergo COVID-19 testing three days prior to their scheduled procedure," the health system said. Read the full story in the Times Union.