Question: What are the options regarding having birth partners in the operating theatre for surgical deliveries?

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Coronavirus infection and pregnancy
section_headers: Information for all pregnant women about childbirth choices and birth partners during the coronavirus pandemic
Q. Will my birth partner be able to stay with me if I have a caesarean or instrumental birth that occurs in an operating theatre?
section_content: We fully support women having their birth partners with them during labour and
birth, unless they are unwell, when an alternative well birth partner can
attend.
Around one in four women in the UK has a caesarean birth. A caesarean may be
recommended as a planned (elective) procedure for medical reasons or as an
emergency – for example, if doctors and midwives are concerned that your baby
is not coping with labour and needs to be born immediately.
Furthermore, around one in five women in the UK has an instrumental birth
(ventouse or forceps). Some of these types of birth may also be recommended to
occur in an operating theatre in order to allow the maternity team to modify
plans and undertake a caesarean birth if necessary.
Most caesareans and instrumental births in theatre are carried out under
spinal or epidural anaesthetic, which means you’ll be awake, but the lower
part of your body is numb and you cannot feel any pain. In this situation,
everything will be done by the clinical staff – midwives, obstetricians and
anaesthetists – to keep your birth partner with you.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, staff in the operating theatre will be
wearing enhanced personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent the spread of
infection, which will make it more difficult for them to communicate. To
enable the clinicians to assist in the birth of your baby safely, it’s really
important your birth partner follows the instructions from the maternity team
carefully and quickly.
Occasionally, a general anaesthetic (where you’re put to sleep) may be used,
particularly if your baby needs to be born urgently. During this type of
caesarean birth, even under more usual circumstances, for safety reasons it is
not possible for the birth partner to be present during the birth.
While the maternity team will do all they can to ensure that your birth
partner is present for the birth, there will be some occasions when there is a
need for an urgent emergency birth with epidural or spinal anaesthetic, and it
will not be possible for your birth partner to be present. This is because,
during an emergency, operating theatres are more high-risk environments in
terms of potential spread of coronavirus to everyone who is present.
If it is the case that your birth partner will not be able to be present
during the birth, your maternity team will explain this to you and will do
everything they can to ensure that your birth partner can see you and your
baby as soon as possible after the birth.

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
This is a direct answer to the question. This answer contains information on different circumstances in which birth partner is allowed or not allowed to be present during caesareans and instrumental births in the operating theater.
This answer is great. It directly answers the question and talks about the allowance of a birth partner to be in the operating room. It talks about enhanced PPE use and the strict rules that partners must follow during the operation.
This answers the question and give information on how to make sure that everyone is safe and outline guidelines on how to do things

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