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The Albert Lea Medical Center announced new hospital visiting restrictions Friday because of the flu — seasonal or H1N1.

To protect patients and reduce the spread of the flu, people under the age of 16 are not allowed to visit hospitalized patients. The only exception to this new rule is in The Baby Place, where well siblings of all ages are allowed to visit.

“By restricting visitors in this way we can help protect patients who are most susceptible to contracting the flu,” ALMC Chief Nurse Executive and Hospital Director of Nursing Lori Routh said in a press release.

“In addition, we strongly urge anyone — regardless of age — who is sick or has flu-like symptoms, to avoid visiting patients in the hospital. We realize this may cause some inconvenience, but we are making this request in the best interest of our patients’ health,” Routh said.

Twin Cities hospitals are also putting restrictions on visitors to keep the flu from spreading.

Allina hospitals will not allow children under age 5 to visit patients and no one under 16 will be allowed unless they are immediate family. There are similar rules at Hennepin County Medical Center, North Memorial Hospital, Regions Hospital and hospitals run by Fairview and HealthEast.

Flu-like symptoms include cough, sore throat, chills, headaches, body aches and/or fever. The signs and symptoms of the seasonal flu are much the same as the H1N1 flu.

If you want to call someone to see if what you have might be the flu, the Albert Lea Medical Center has its own flu line. The phone number of the ALMC flu line is 379-2211.