Mask requirements have been reinstated in New York City hospitals and other health facilities as COVID and flu cases have increased in recent weeks, according to the city’s health department on Wednesday.
The requirement, which went into effect just after Christmas, applies to all 11 hospitals across the five boroughs that are part of New York City’s Health and Hospitals.
“As we’ve seen an increase in COVID, flu, and RSV, our priority is to protect our patients, staff, and the community,” a NYCH+H spokesperson told The Post Wednesday. “This applies to clinical settings such as our hospitals, community health centers, and nursing homes.”
According to state data, the city saw a steady increase in COVID cases during December, with a slight decrease near the end of the month.
Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that the city is experiencing a high level of flu.
“What we don’t want are staffing shortages, right? When we saw the omicron wave in 2022, the biggest issues were not only people getting sick but we had a lot of frontline health workers with COVID,” Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said in an interview.
My message to New Yorkers is that it’s not inevitable that you’re just going to fall victim to this,” he added, referring to the multiple respiratory illnesses floating around. “There are tools and strategies that we can take to keep ourselves and our families safe.”
Last February, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul repealed mask requirements for anyone entering a hospital or nursing home.