People visiting friends or family in hospital must have tested negative for Covid-19 before arriving.
The new guideline has been introduced by the Scottish Government in response to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus.
The region’s NHS has warned that hospital inpatients are among the most vulnerable to the disease.
And the new guidelines call for all visitors to have completed a lateral flow test and obtained a negative result before they arrive.
In addition, patients are now limited to two visitors each at a time.
And if the patient is on a ward where there is already an outbreak of Covid, only essential visitors, who have tested negative, will be allowed access.
Mark Kelly, interim director of nursing at NHS Dumfries and Galloway, said: “Visits from friends and family are so very important for patients’ welfare, especially over Christmas.
“With case numbers rising so rapidly across the country, we must now be extremely cautious.
“Hospital patients are among those most vulnerable within our communities, and protecting our patients and staff is vital over what is set to be a very challenging winter.
“The limit on visitor numbers also helps reduce risk, with a requirement now that visitors are limited to at most two people at one time, and with visitors to Galloway Community Hospital, cottage hospitals and Midpark asked to contact the nursing staff in advance of visiting.”
He added: “Combined with other precautions, like hand hygiene, wearing face coverings in indoor public settings and distancing, these new visiting precautions will give us the best possible chance of keeping patients and staff safe over Christmas and New Year.
“I encourage everyone to share the message about the new guidance to anyone they know who will be visiting someone in hospital over coming weeks.”
Lateral flow tests are free, rapid and simple to perform. Tests are available from pharmacies and from local test sites (listed on https://www.nhsdg.co.uk/testing/ ).
Visitors coming from outside the region can learn where to find tests elsewhere in Scotland at https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/coronavirus-covid-19/test-and-protect/coronavirus-covid-19-testing/.
