A rise in COVID-19 cases in the region has forced health officials to put an indefinite pause on visitations at one Hudson Valley hospital system.

The pause on visitations includes inpatient, emergency departments, medical practices and ambulatory services.

Nuvance Health becomes the first Hudson Valley hospital system to bring back the visitation pause.

The decision to halt visitation at all hospitals in the Nuvance Health System went into effect Thursday.

Nuvance health officials say they feel it’s important to limit the risk of possible exposure of the more contagious delta variant to patients, their families, hospital staff and the community.

Gastroenterologist Dr. Lizabeth Fiedler tells News12, “I just really hope that everyone who has not already accepted the vaccine can see what’s going on and perhaps a switch can flip in their brains and get the vaccine”.

There are exceptions for the visitation pause that applies to patients under 21, maternity wards, newborn intensive care unit patients, those with disabilities and in end-of-life circumstances.

“Your heart breaks when there are patients in the hospital who are very sick and normally you would expect family members in the room, many visitors giving their support,” says Fiedler. “It’s helpful for people when they're getting better."

Hospitals in the area that must abide by the new rules include Putnam Hospital, Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck and Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie.