Amid Rising COVID Cases, Hospitals Reinstate Mask-Wearing Requirements
As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to rise across the country, several hospital systems and individual hospitals have reinstated mask-wearing requirements for both patients and staff. According to Becker’s Hospital Review, these announcements come as COVID-related hospitalizations have increased by 21.6% in the most recent week, and deaths have risen by 21.4%, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
While the numbers are still below the levels seen during the peak of the pandemic, hospitals are taking proactive measures to mitigate the spread of the virus. The new mask-wearing mandates aim to protect patients, healthcare workers, and visitors from potential exposure to COVID-19.
United Health Services, a health system in New York, has reinstated masking policies at its facilities, including UHS Wilson Medical Center, UHS Binghamton General Hospital, UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital, and UHS Delaware Valley Hospital. The policy applies to all clinical areas, primary and specialty care sites, and is mandatory for patients, visitors, employees, medical staff, volunteers, students, and vendors.
Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa Medical Center in California has also reintroduced a mask mandate. The medical center has observed a rise in positive COVID-19 tests, prompting the decision to require masks for physicians, staff, patients, members, and visitors in the hospital and medical offices within the Santa Rosa Service Area.
Auburn Community Hospital in New York, which had previously ended the mask mandate, has now reinstated it. The hospital now requires all staff, patients, and visitors to wear masks in clinical areas. Regardless of immunization status, face coverings are mandatory inside the hospital, and appropriate masks will be provided to those who do not have one or whose masks are deemed inappropriate.
University Hospital in Syracuse, New York, has also reinstated its masking requirement. The mandate applies to all staff, visitors, and patients in clinical areas of Upstate University Hospital, Upstate Community Hospital, and ambulatory clinical spaces.
The decision to reintroduce mask mandates in hospitals has sparked debates among experts. In April 2023, some health care epidemiologists and infectious diseases experts called for an end to universal masking in hospitals and healthcare settings. They argued that the risk-benefit calculation had shifted, acknowledging downsides to masks, such as impaired communication and disrupted human connection.
Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, expressed his support for mask requirements in hospitals, especially those with vulnerable high-risk patients. He emphasized the importance of using high-quality masks and following proper usage instructions.
Critics of universal mask mandates argue that they have been ineffective in reducing the spread of the virus. Dr. Siegel noted that masks must be worn properly and used in the right settings, which may not always be the case. Studies have shown that many people wear masks improperly, diminishing their effectiveness.
As the pandemic continues to evolve, hospitals are adapting their safety protocols accordingly. The reinstatement of mask-wearing requirements aims to enhance protection and prevent further transmission of COVID-19 within healthcare settings.