Hospitals in states across the U.S. are starting to bring back mask mandates in healthcare settings as COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses spread at rapid rates, according to a Dec. 28 report from Newsweek.
In New York City, hospitals have reinstated mask wearing policies following a CDC-reported spike in COVID cases in the area. NYC Health + Hospitals also reinstated a mask policy across all of its facilities, including at its outpatient and ambulatory care centers.
As New York hospitals begin to reimplement mask policies, it's likely that other health facilities, including ASCs, will follow.
On Dec. 14, the Illinois Department of Public Health issued a statement advising all healthcare facilities to "step up mitigation efforts." The department said it supports the CDC's recommendation to mask at health facilities in counties where COVID and respiratory virus transmission rates are high.
UW Health, which has facilities across Wisconsin and Illinois, has started reinstating a mask mandate at many of its care sites.
In California, a number of counties, including Yolo, Contra Costa, Sonoma, Alameda and San Mateo have ordered all healthcare workers to begin masking again at work.