7 hospitals in the U.S. have reinstated face mask rules for employees as flu and COVID cases surge.
Hospitals in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wisconsin have reinstated mask requirements, according to reports.
Celebrities such as Angelina Jolie’s daughter, Zahara, have resumed masking amid uncertainty about new COVID variants.
New Jersey and Pennsylvania are among the states seeing the highest spike in COVID cases.
A major healthcare provider in Philadelphia is reinstating masking requirements across all of their patient care areas.
Main Line Health said masks will be required in acute care and ambulatory care facilities beginning Thursday, Jan. 4.
“We have seen a significant uptick of flu in particular and COVID as well over the last two to three weeks,” said Dr. Judith O’Donnell, Chief of Infectious Diseases, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. “Beginning right before the Christmas holiday, extending through Christmas New Year’s now into the first week of January.”
“What we’re seeing right now, in the first week of January, is really an acceleration — of flu cases, in particular,” said Dr. Mandy Cohen, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC is concerned that vaccination rates are down by a whopping margin. Only about 19% of U.S. adults received an updated COVID-19 shot as of early December, according to Boston.com.
Airlines are also considering reinstating face mask rules. Delta and United dropped mask requirements in 2022 after a federal judge struck down the Biden administration’s mandatory transportation mask mandates.
Face coverings are to be worn on Delta flights only where required by the laws of the flight origin and/or destination, per Delta’s website.
