New York nursing homes can now choose whether to keep masks on or not
Healthcare facilities in New York State can now choose whether to keep masks on or not.
The New York State Department of Health announced it is not renewing the request for mandated masks, going into effect Sunday, February 12th.
MORE: Mask requirements in health care settings to expire, not renewed by NYS health department
Impacting hospitals, treatments centers, and nursing homes.
Many hospitals have chosen to keep them on, but what about our most vulnerable population?
Nursing homes told CBS 6 the risk is still too high.
So far this year according to the Centers for Disease Control more than 10 thousand lives over the age of 50 have been taken by Covid-19.
” I do feel its safe enough” said Advocates for COVID Nursing Home Residents Administrator Karla Conley “the masks they didn’t prevent anything that everyone thought they were going to prevent, they just didn’t work that way, because they were always worn improperly.”
At the Centers Health Care facilities across New York State the sign on their door with masking requirements will remain a representative says until the community transmission drops.
“For the time being at our nursing homes and many other nursing homes” said Centers Health Care Director of Corporate Communications Jeff Jacomowitz “masking is still the safest way at the moment.”
According to the New York State Covid-19 testing tracker more than a thousand tests on Sunday were recorded as positive.
Jeff Jacomowitz says while taking guidance from the New York State Department of Health and the CDC, Covid rates are still too high to remove masks.
“Coming upon the third anniversary of Covid 19 pandemic” said Jacomowitz “were looking at that and we’ve come a long way, but we just need to keep everybody safe still.”
Centers HealthCare facilities will continue to monitor levels and act accordingly.
But they’re hopeful as the warmer months approach they’ll be able to revise their policy.
As seen both in WRGB CBS 6 News, Albany and YouTube
