Baystate Medical, other Mass. hospitals now require face masks at all times

Baystate Medical Center in Springfield has joined the list of hospitals in the state requiring people to wear a mask at all times inside the building.

Signs on the walls of the hospital asks that people wear a mask at all times. This is a change from the guidelines in the fall when visitors were required to wear a mask in patients’ rooms and “patient care areas.” Masks were optional in common spaces such as cafeterias and corridors.

Now, all visitors over the age of 5 are required to wear masks at Baystate Medical Center, Baystate Children’s Hospital, Baystate Noble Hospital, Baystate Wing Hospital, and Baystate Franklin Medical Center and the D’Amour Center for Cancer Care, Baystate Medical Center said in a press release sent Friday.

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In other “ambulatory settings,” like Baystate Medical Practices offices, and in non-patient care locations, wearing a mask is strongly recommended, the Springfield-based hospital said. More information about the policy can be found here.

Baystate Medical Center’s team of experts meets regularly to evaluate the local and regional environment to ensure they are responding to the changes in COVID-19 cases, the hospital said.

“We are taking this step to protect our patients, their care partners, and our team members while continuing to provide excellent and compassionate care,” Baystate Medical Center said.

Over the summer, many hospitals in Massachusetts lifted their COVID-19 mask requirement as coronavirus cases fell. But, since mid-November, state data show cases have crept back up again, prompting many Massachusetts hospitals to reimpose mask mandates.

The Mass General Brigham Hospital network, which includes Salem Hospital and Mass General Waltham, is requiring all patients, staff and visitors to mask up, Patch.com reported.

Dana Farber Cancer Institute is also requiring masks to be worn.

Sturdy Memorial Hospital requires all visitors and those receiving outpatient services to wear a mask while in the hospital, according to its website.

The University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center is requiring all members of its staff to wear a mask starting Jan. 2., GBH reported.

Meanwhile, Tufts Medicine will reimpose masking requirements on Jan. 3.

Cape Cod Hospital requires all visitors, patients and staff to wear a mask in situations including a COVID-19 outbreak, a suspected infection or close contact with someone with COVID-19, according to its website.

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The state Department of Public Health tracks confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases each week. In the last reporting period, Dec. 17-23, it reported 6,038 confirmed and probable cases throughout Massachusetts. That compares to 2,957 such cases from Nov. 19-25 and 848 from July 2-8.

The state DPH also reported that 16.7% of emergency department visits the week since Dec. 23 were due to acute respiratory disease, including COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.

Dr. Armando Philip S. Paez, chief of infectious diseases for Baystate, told the Republican last week his colleagues are back to emphasizing common-sense precautions not only about COVID-19 but flu and RSV: Get vaccinated and boosted, wear a mask in crowded indoor settings, wash hands, wipe down surfaces, test yourself, stay home if you are sick.

“Contact your primary care provider if you get sick,” Paez said.

• Read more: Baystate Health reinstates mask requirement as COVID rises

It’s never too late to get the COVID-19 vaccine, he said. It typically takes a few weeks for immunity to build after the jab, but protection can last for months.

Nearly one in eight people seeking treatment in one of the state’s emergency rooms are there for a respiratory infection, Dr. Larry Madoff, medical director for the Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences at Massachusetts Department of Public Health, told the Republican last week.

“That’s telling us that there is a lot of activity out there,” he said.

“It is that time of year,” Madoff said. “This is definitely the respiratory virus season.”

Nationally, test positivity, emergency department visits and hospitalizations remain elevated, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

Why the seasonal pattern? Madoff said it’s something doctors were familiar with even before the emergence of COVID-19 in 2020.

Paez said the weather has a lot to do with it. Cooler weather means more time spent indoors and around other people.

Madoff said lower humidity, and the irritation that causes to the respiratory system, might also play a role.