The New York State Department of Health issued a COVID-19 advisory for the use of masks and face coverings in healthcare facilities, aligning the State’s guidance with the latest federal recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Department continues to affirm the importance of masking as a vital and effective infection prevention strategy. The new guidance, which goes into effect on Feb. 12, advises all operators to develop and implement a masking plan for staff and visitors at their facilities, which includes COVID-19 and uses Transmission Levels, as a minimum threshold.
The advisory, sent as a Dear Administrator Letter, was issued to all facilities and entities regulated by the Department under Articles 28, 36, and 40 of the Public Health Law. This includes hospitals, nursing homes, home healthcare and hospice agencies, and diagnostic and treatment centers.
As laid out by the Department, these facilities are expected to follow previously established and required policies for the control of infectious diseases, including COVID-19, that at a minimum adhere to CDC’s guidance and Transmission Levels system. At any given time, the Department expects facilities’ plans to include the policies and procedures necessary to implement a masking requirement when COVID-19 transmission levels are high enough to trigger that recommendation by CDC. Department-regulated facilities may also set requirements that go beyond CDC’s guidance, based on their unique circumstances.
