Hospitals across the United States have brought mask mandates back, citing a rise in COVID-19 and influenza.
More hospitals across the United States have brought back mask mandates, citing a rise in COVID-19 and influenza.
New York City last week instituted a mask mandate for the city’s 11 public hospitals and other health facilities, while similar measures were ordered at some hospitals in other locations. Some hospitals reinstated masking rules for employees months ago, in anticipation of a seasonal rush of sick people.
The New York City Health Department confirmed on Jan. 3 that the mask requirement applies to all 11 hospitals that fall under New York City’s Health and Hospitals division.
Because of reported increases in respiratory viruses, the mandate “applies to clinical settings such as our hospitals, community health centers, and nursing homes,” a spokesperson for the hospital system told the New York Post.
In Chicago, Rush University medical system announced on Jan. 2 that “patients, visitors and staff [are] to wear hospital-approved masks in some areas of the campus,” adding that those places “include clinical waiting areas and patient registration.”
And Cook County Health, which encompasses Chicago, as well as Endeavor Health in the Chicago area, is again requiring masks at its facilities, coming after the Illinois Department of Public Health sent a letter to hospitals suggesting they reimpose masking.
In Massachusetts, Berkshire Health Systems started mandatory masking last week, the hospital confirmed in a statement.
Los Angeles County over the past weekend reinstated masking at all licensed health care facilities, the county said. It was implemented because the county’s COVID-19 admission level reached a certain threshold in recent days.
Hospitals in Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Washington state have imposed similar mask requirements, according to reports. In Delaware, TidalHealth announced on Dec. 28, 2023, that it’s mandating masks for all hospital visitors in patients’ rooms. That rule was initiated in “an effort to protect the most vulnerable of our population from close contact with persons that may be contagious but not yet have symptoms,” according to the hospital.
