See Where New Mask Mandates For Health Care Personnel Will Be In Place Until Next Spring

Three Northern California counties have approved new mask mandates for health care workers that will last until next spring as coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and hospitalizations continue to rise across the country.

The requirements, announced this week by officials in California's Contra Costa, Sonoma and San Mateo counties, will go into effect Nov. 1 and run through April 30. These mandates do not apply to patients or visitors to hospitals and other health care facilities.

Not only are health care workers at risk of infection during respiratory virus season, but they can also transmit COVID-19 and other viruses to those around them, Sonoma County Health Officer Karen said in a statement. Smith.

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"Patients and residents in our health and community facilities, particularly young children, pregnant women, the elderly and those with chronic health conditions, are at increased risk of hospitalization and death from respiratory viruses," Smith said.

COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) form the so-called "blood trio" of respiratory diseases. Influenza and respiratory syncytial virus circulate seasonally, but the number of cases of COVID-19 began to rise weeks ago and continues to rise.

More than 20,500 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in the week ending Sept. 9, a 7.7% increase, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Utah's seven-day average of people hospitalized with COVID-19 jumped more than 40% to 64 patients in the week ending Sept. 14. This was reported by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.

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Utah lawmakers ended the state's mask mandate in 2021 and made it more difficult for public health officials to enforce mask mandates or other restrictions. Last year, the Legislature lifted mask mandates in Salt Lake and Summit counties amid a sharp increase in infection rates.

University of Utah health officials said wearing masks could help stop the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses during a recent virtual press conference that focused on the "dramatic" increase in cases and hospitalizations. from the virus in the health care system.

However, states are not mentioned. In June, U. Health made wearing masks optional for patients, visitors, faculty and staff at some clinical centers, although masks are still required in some places to protect severely immunocompromised individuals.

"Masks are still very effective in preventing the spread of respiratory diseases, whether it's COVID, flu or respiratory syncytial virus," Dr. Russell Vinick, chief medical officer at UHealth.

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"These are individual decisions that people make, recognizing that different people face different risks of serious consequences," he said. "So we certainly encourage people who are at risk of serious consequences due to underlying illnesses to wear masks."

Wearing a high-quality mask, such as a KN95 or N95, "will help protect you more than a cloth or even a surgical mask, which is probably better at protecting the people around you and preventing its spread," Vinick said. ". virus.

Masks are required for visitors, said Jess Gomez, a spokeswoman for Intermountain Health, the region's largest health care provider.

"There is currently no specific policy regarding masks for visitors to our hospitals and clinics," Gomez said. "We continue to closely monitor the spread of the coronavirus in the community and will respond appropriately to ensure the safety of our patients, caregivers and visitors."

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