Data Report
Tracking Threads => 2026 Tracking Threads => Topic started by: Data Report on October 07, 2025, 10:18:34 pm
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UNC Health Pardee brings back masks due to illness surge.
Source of information.
1. WSPA.
https://www.wspa.com/news/unc-health-pardee-brings-back-masks-due-to-illness-surge/
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Central Va. hospitals recommend masking in health care centers as flu, COVID-19 cases surge.
Source of information.
1. Virginia Mercury.
https://virginiamercury.com/briefs/central-va-hospitals-recommend-masking-in-health-care-centers-as-flu-covid-19-cases-surge/
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Masking Tracking Thread Merits
Note on the merits and usefulness of this thread:
Just offhand, I can't help but marvel at the usefulness of this thread. This is an archive that has scientific merit and serves to better our care and conditions. Here is but a partial list of merits of this tracking thread that I am sure will evolve and grow....
1) Over time there may be patterns between the precautions hospitals take and correspondence of the actual health conditions of that area of people who attend those medical facilities.
2) This Masking Thread may even even serve as a consumer reports of sorts for patients.
3) I can see here where models of the ideal hospital conditions might form from these tracking threads.
4) Maybe hospitals themselves will see patterns of success rates in illness and prevention and compete with who can give the best care for their patients just by studying these Masking tracking archives.
5) Just imagine how useful publicly accessible archive and history of what hospitals did and do do and how they modify their care during times of illnesscould prove to help us all!
These are important historical and scientific data, mile markers, measures, rates, and records that can serve to match up with other records that will prove invaluable in the medical care world that can only prove beneficial to the human condition at large.
Keep up the good work Data Report Info! May the list of Masking Tracking merits and data continue to be documented!
The Masked Man
NOTE: Just as Flu is at it highest rate ever recorded since records of the CDC in 1997, Data Report Info has produced a pragmatic archive of significance called the Masking Tracking Thread which begun in 2025 and now in 2026 and we have just begun to keep track of such masking behavior!
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South County Hospital
South County Hospital said all visitors, patients and health care workers will be required to wear a mask starting Monday.
LINK:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/south-county-hospital-will-require-masks/ar-AA1Ttqze?apiversion=v2&domshim=1&noservercache=1&noservertelemetry=1&batchservertelemetry=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1
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Brown University Health facilities
Starting Jan. 6, doctors, patients, staff, and visitors will be required to wear masks at all times within Brown University Health facilities.
LINK:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yhDO4m4HEh8
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Hospitals limit visitation as new flu strain spreads across Eastern Carolina
by Emilia Paz
Mon, January 5, 2026 at 5:39 PM
“Fischer said people can spread the flu for up to two days before showing symptoms, which increases the risk in hospital settings…
Health officials also stress frequent handwashing as one of the most effective ways to prevent illness.
“In addition to CarolinaEast, ECU Health, Carteret Health Care, and Onslow Memorial Hospital have also implemented visitation restrictions as they work to prevent further spread of the flu.“
Onslow Memorial Hospital
Under the new guidelines, visitors 11 years old and younger are prohibited from all inpatient areas and waiting rooms.
In addition, any visitors showing respiratory symptoms are also prohibited from those areas, regardless of age.
Healthy visitors of any age are still allowed in hospital lobbies and retail or food service locations.
ECU Health
Due to high volumes, ECU Health may ask visitors to wait in an alternate off-unit location to adhere with facility safety protocols.
Carteret Health Care
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
Carteret Health Care is currently experiencing higher-than-expected levels of influenza. Because respiratory illnesses can spread quickly in larger groups, we highly encourage limiting visitors to 1 - 2 individuals at this time to help keep our patients and staff safe.
LINK:
https://wcti12.com/news/local/hospitals-limit-visitation-as-new-flu-strain-spreads-across-eastern-carolina
COMMENT:
“Fischer said people can spread the flu for up to two days before showing symptoms, which increases the risk in hospital settings…“
..So here are three hospitals that aren’t going to use masks.
“Healthy visitors of any age are still allowed in hospital lobbies and retail or food service locations”
...I suppose the hospital doesnt think the flu can exist up to two days before showing symptoms, which increases the risk in hospital lobbies and retail or food service locations.
..So hospitals admit they aren't taking measures to protect visitors and guests from the contagious illness that the patients bring in as well. Not a single hospital as of yet has said: Wear a mask so you don't catch the flu because we have patients with the flu here.
I don’t believe for a moment that the hospitals mentioned in this article who are busy caring for flu victims and in the midst of a flu outbreak nationwide have time to fully diagnose all these maskless healthy people moreover even if they were able to determine the health of guests and visitors I certainly don’t see any efforts to protect them from the flu by suggesting mask usage along with other precautions.
Moreover I see nothing that signifies that staff is going to mask and use precautions such as masking to prevent the spread of airborne illness betwixt them, their patients or the visitors and guests even if the visitors and guests are perfectly healthy.
.. sounds like they are hosting a super spreader event by their own admission.
…Sounds like they definitely aren’t going to suggest to those they magically have deemed to be healthy to take precautions such as masking to prevent their healthy individuals from catching the flu from their patients.
I guess the hospitals here are under the false impression their staff don’t have to mask because they are healthy and ‘healthy’ doctors and nurses here also don’t have to mask because they are healthy and haven’t caught the flu yet while exposing themselves to the flu despite Fischer having said “people can spread the flu for up to two days before showing symptoms, which increases the risk in hospital settings”
There certainly doesn’t seem to be any building design or infrastructure in place in the engineering sense …nothing -about the building design or it’s rooms, elevators and corridors and waiting rooms that can prevent the virus and the airborne illness and disease from having great success spreading and finding hosts to multiply in betwixt the healthy and the sick.
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SUMMARY - South County Hospital (located in Rhode Island, USA) has re-instated masking requirements as of January 5, 2026. Visitors are required to wear a facility-issued mask in all areas. They are also asked not to enter the facility if they are experiencing acute respiratory symptoms.
LINK - https://turnto10.com/news/local/masking-required-at-south-county-hospital-flu-rising-in-rhode-island-massachusetts-jan-5-2026 (https://turnto10.com/news/local/masking-required-at-south-county-hospital-flu-rising-in-rhode-island-massachusetts-jan-5-2026)
So ironic to say if you are "experiencing acute respiratory symptoms" do not enter our hospital or seek hospital care..lol. They should say wear a mask and get in line to be admitted as patient if you are experiencing acute respiratory symptoms. "Life-threatening" is actually synonymous with the word "acute " sounds pretty serious. Maybe the hospital should even prioritize a case like that.. make sure the patient is masked as well as those around them first and try to bypass waiting room for such a patient having acute respiratory symptoms altogether! A person experiencing acute respiratory symptoms sounds like the very person who needs to be masked and treated and also one we should mask around!
Hospital says: "They are also asked not to enter the facility if they are experiencing acute respiratory symptoms"...
...That's equivalent to the hospital saying saying if you have a "life threatening" respiratory symptoms don't visit anybody at the hospital. It seems kind of odd to tell somebody publicly not to come to hospital. It seems reasonable to request such people and the people around such a person to take precautions by wearing a masks around such people who come in who are having a life threatening difficulty with their respiratory functions (which is the same as having acute respiratory problems).
That being said I guess they are justified in trying to cut back on visitors who are ill who won't wear mask and think they just have a cold or something which in the first stages would constitute as being only minor respiratory symptoms. Nevertheless seems like hospital is downplaying the seriousness of the outbreak and its almost as if the hospital could be interpreted as saying its okay to come in if you have a "mild" respiratory symptoms which is like saying if you have a tickle in your throat the last five hours or so its probably okay for you to come on in and visit we love your company even though we are busy as all heck treating contagious loved ones...
...Then again perhaps hospitals would be just as well off to say people should not visit the hospitals maskless regardless of if you are experiencing 'asymptomatic respiratory problems' even if they are minor ones during our flu outbreak.
See how allowing certain people to go maskless and doing so based on how they feel is absurd in a hospital setting? It just doesn't work to try to accommodate maskless people during an outbreak. These airborne illnesses include stages where people are sick and don't feel it and they don't know it and that's what is meant by the term asymptomatic. When are doctors and nurses going to wake up and respect the asymptomatic stages of contagious illnesses where people aren't coughing or throwing up but they still make one another ill through germs we can't see that ride upon the vapors of breath, remain in the air for hours and even contaminate surfaces?
Again in the best interest of patients and staff to mask alike you'd think its just easier to not make exceptions and stop trying to accommodate maskless people during flu outbreaks. Reality is maskless people are a burden, a threat and a threat to themselves and 'in the way' during flu outbreaks. Maskless people are like having too many bystanders in the the line of fire standing around during a catastrophe. We call them rubber necks.. people who turn their head to view accident alongside the road only to tail end the people in front of them in traffic. To accommodate the maskless, Just make the 'Maskless virus infection section' outdoors far away from hospital entrances alongside with the smoking section/area.
Why a hospital should have to accommodate maskless people even if they are healthy during a flu outbreak is beyond me. The healthy active people are perfect prospective vectors and carriers of the flu which is why they should mask as well. Hospitals are accommodating the virus .. not really containing or quarantining the virus itself ...looking the other way when they allow the virus they host and claim to treat to feed on unsuspecting maskless guests and visitors that are allowed to be maskless around contagious people who inhabit any area (The virus isn't going to halt its activity in the waiting room...that waiting room is a great breeding ground for the virus no doubt..hospitals should deny that the waiting room is actually part of their property so they don't have to oversee it as a place where contagion can occur)...
..The problem is hospitals aren't taking measures to protect visitors and guests from the contagious illness that the patients bring in as well. Not a single hospital as of yet has said: Wear a mask so you don't catch the flu because we have patients with the flu here.
It's hypocritical and totally counterproductive for hospitals to accommodate the virus by accommodating maskless guests and maskless visitors to get unnecessarily exposed to the flu which the patients have. If I were a doctor or nurse I'd be thinking in the following terms..How do I contain the virus and keep it from spreading?...If we let people infect one another in the waiting room then that's no good. You don't want to inadvertently create a breeding ground area in the waiting room for the virus..You have to think like a virus like it is hunter in order to predict its pattern to ward it off from striking, feeding off its prey and multiplying! You have to quarantine the virus right away. You can't wait until aftwards to make people mask.. you can't wait for people to sign in or after they have already stretched themselves out amongst the upholstery in the chairs of the waiting room mingling with one another and then tell them to mask. By then its too late.. you have to mask in advance. You don't want to host the virus and accommodate it and toast to it in the waiting rooms, the elevator ride, and in the bathroom stalls! Even if person is proven totally healthy, Ya can't give a green card to healthy people saying its okay to go maskless and expose yourselves to our patients who have the flu because then the hospital is going to have repeat business at an undesirable rate. We can't afford to pretend viruses aren't going to multiply in the waiting rooms.
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SUMMARY - South County Hospital (located in Rhode Island, USA) has re-instated masking requirements as of January 5, 2026. Visitors are required to wear a facility-issued mask in all areas. They are also asked not to enter the facility if they are experiencing acute respiratory symptoms.
LINK - https://turnto10.com/news/local/masking-required-at-south-county-hospital-flu-rising-in-rhode-island-massachusetts-jan-5-2026 (https://turnto10.com/news/local/masking-required-at-south-county-hospital-flu-rising-in-rhode-island-massachusetts-jan-5-2026)
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ACADEMIC-BASED /RESEARCH-BASED INDEPENDENT STUDY PROPOSAL
WANTED: more postings of public community events that mention masking requirements!
Note thus far the rarity of public events that require masking 2026...(even as we are in the heyday of the Super Flu, rising RSV numbers and staggering hospital admissions), One would expect to see a at least a modest rise in public events & gatherings also requiring mask usage and "mask-recommended" policies.
SUMMARY:
...so far search engines indicate In 2026, mandatory masking for public events is rare and typically limited to specific professional, health-related, or high-risk gatherings. Most general public events have moved to "mask-optional" or "mask-recommended" policies.
COMMENT:
Even in the era of covid and outbreaks of illness (so far covid; including long covid is far from having been eradicated) and considering the fact social awareness has arisen in the face of the pandemic and outbreaks of illness that occur and evolve, It seems almost astronomical to me that more events in the community aren't listed hosting and requiring masking and implementing "mask-recommended" policies at their their gatherings.
Even a fool knows that a healthy customer and a healthy patron will keep coming back for more because they can.
As usual, I look forward to seeing more of this wonderful masking thread as it evolves this year.. we are off to a good start! :)
Founding Father of 'Pragmatical Studies In Masking',
The Masked Man
P.S.
Masked Man FUN FACTS: Did you know in some countries, especially in Asia (like Japan and South Korea), voluntary mask-wearing remains a common practice in crowded areas as a courtesy to others, even without a legal mandate.
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The Duke University Health System
Jan. 6 include:
Patients may receives no more than two visitors at one time. Additional visitor guidelines apply for some patients.
Children under 12 are not permitted to visit hospitals or units without prior approval from health care providers and for special circumstances.
Visitors are urged to wear masks while visiting patients and to wash their hands frequently.
Visitors with fever, cough or other flu-like symptoms should stay at home.
Link: https://www.wral.com/news/local/duke-health-limits-visitors-effective-jan-6-2026/
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Cape Fear Valley Hospitals
SOURCE:
Cape Fear Valley joins WakeMed in limiting hospital visitors, will require masks in waiting rooms
Cape Fear Valley Hospitals will require masks in all waiting rooms and ban visitors under the age of 12 beginning on Christmas Day.
Link:
https://www.wral.com/news/local/wakemed-flu-season-visitor-restrictions-december-2025/
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I am impressed how many places are bringing back masking right now way more than last year at this time.
*BALTIMORE — Several Eastern Shore hospitals have reinstated masking mandates this week, joining a growing number of health care centers in Maryland reporting unusually high numbers of influenza cases.*
Source of information.
1. Yahoo.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/flu-surge-prompts-masking-mandates-211700389.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=tw&tsrc=twtr
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Discover and explore at ECHO in a safe, masked environment during this dedicated time for those in our community who are most at risk
SUMMARY:
Our next Masks On! event is this coming Sunday, January 4, 9-10 am! Please note that this event now occurs on a quarterly basis. The dates in 2026 are: January 4, April 5, July 5, October 4.
Discover and explore at ECHO in a safe, masked environment during this dedicated time for those in our community who are most at risk — including but not limited to, seniors, visitors with disabilities, or those with compromised immune systems.
Please RSVP at the link in our bio.
Note: everyone age 2 and older will be required to wear a mask. Questions? Contact Kelsey at kvonderlinn@echovermont.org
MASKS ON! Sundays
Every 1st Sunday of the Month
9-10 am
RSVP: https://echovermont.ticketing.veevartapp.com/tickets/view/list/masks-on-sundays
Free Admission
Discover and explore at ECHO in a safe, masked environment during this dedicated time for those in our community who are most at risk — including but not limited to, seniors, visitors with disabilities, or those with compromised immune systems. Note: everyone age 2 and older will be required to wear a mask. Questions? Contact Kelsey at kvonderlinn@echovermont.org "
LINK:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DS7XBMGgUAo/
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https://www.helloburlingtonvt.com/event/masks-on!-sundays-at-echo/2724/
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https://www.echovermont.org/event/masks-on-sundays-offered-quarterly/2026-01-04/
COMMENT:
Bravo.. Finally what I'm looking for! My kind of people! Smart and safe! That would be the one place I would actually attend if I lived around there. The only gathering I would attend or even be welcome at! I don't even know what it's about but I'd ride my bicycle there and hang out in my mask. I support their cause 100%! I can get so tired of feeling like I'm the only one who masks or cares. I'm the only person besides my loved one I know that masks for health.. I'd just sit in the corner of this masked event and quietly cry tears of joy. To a guy whose been masking for his health and loved one's health for 6 years straight and laying low, these masked people are beautiful and precious to me and give me hope! :)
I am glad to see this. I hope to see more good Masks On events like this! I might even take steps in my own community to make Masks On events! This fills my heart with gladness and even strengthens me!
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Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
SUMMARY:
December 2, 2025
SUMMARY:
‼️IMPORTANT UPDATE‼️
The wearing of masks is now required in all hospital settings until 12 January 2026
Since mask-wearing was introduced on 24 November, we have already seen the important role it plays in slowing the spread of flu and other viruses.
To protect the health of the most vulnerable, we have extended compulsory mask-wearing for staff, visitors and patients on our hospital sites until 12 January 2026.
Fluid repellent masks must be worn by all staff, patients and visitors (unless clinically exempt) when attending:
• Our hospital sites
• Wards
• Emergency Departments
• All clinical settings, including our Minor Injury Units (MIUs).
When worn correctly, masks act as a filter that reduces the number of germs you breathe in and out. If worn by someone who has a virus, masks can significantly reduce the chance of spreading it to others.
Wearing a mask isn’t just about protecting yourself from winter illnesses; it’s about protecting those around you for whom these viruses might be more dangerous.
Thank you.
LINK:
https://www.facebook.com/CwmTafMorgannwg/posts/%EF%B8%8Fimportant-update%EF%B8%8Fthe-wearing-of-masks-is-now-required-in-all-hospital-settings-/1245001237656346/
COMMENT: What is amazing about this one is they started their mandate awhile back only to end it in a few days (the super flu just began)..They admit "we have already seen the important role it plays in slowing the spread of flu and other viruses"...hopefully they will extend it yet again during this current super flu & RSV outbreak...
...They should just keep their mandate in place indefinitely as should all people who work with illness. Why fix what is not broken? If all they say is true then it is true year round.. They aren't incorrect about about masks slowing the spread of flu and other viruses at any time of the year. If Masks reduce airborne illness and airborne disease then just use masks and keep using them! Once ya prove something works and once something is working you stick with it!
Seriously this hospital has totally convinced me that masks work..this hospital has clearly made the case and proven we should all keep wearing masks in hospitals throughout all seasons. I wouldn't dare go maskless in clinical settings or at a hospital or even in public after what this hospital just told me in their article about how they proved masks can significantly reduce viruses and the chance of spreading it to others. I believe them!
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Dealers Den and Art Show
San Jose Convention Center
150 W San Carlos St, San Jose, CA 95113
SUMMARY:
Dealers Den
Last updated on Dec 29, 2025
Please Note: Masks are required in the FC Dealer Room
Masks: Mandatory in Dealers Den and Art Show. Encouraged elsewhere.
Masking Requirements
Masks are mandatory in high-traffic areas. Such as Dealers Den and Art Show
...Social Distancing
Respect personal space and avoid crowding. Event organizers may implement crowd management as needed.
...Compliance
Adherence to these policies is mandatory, including all attendees, vendors, and staff.
Non-compliance may result in removal from the event....
..Hygiene and Sanitation
Hand sanitizer stations will be available. Frequent handwashing is encouraged.
High-touch surfaces will undergo enhanced cleaning..
LINK:
https://furtherconfusion.org/policies/health/
COMMENT:
I have no idea what this about but it is refreshing to see masking being required at a public gathering.. man, this place sounds better and safer than some of the hospitals!
... WAIT upon further investigations I'm not so sure they are talking about n95 Masks here! I tell ya one thing if they were talking about N95 masks then this place would be perfect along with the Hygiene and Sanitation and ocial Distancing advice
such as Respect personal space and avoid crowding. Event organizers may implement crowd management as needed. Unfortunately this isn't about n95 masking as I originally thought...
It so ironic that I find the The rules and regulations of this place should be adopted at hospitals along with real n95 masking ! Very ironic in that their rules and regulations could be very applicable if they were indeed talking about n95 masks so I shall include this post in this thread for the sake of what could be a good thing... I thought it was like an art show show or something not a place where people dress up in costume masks.. my apologies.. it sounded to good to be true and would be an ideal public gathering if they were using N95 masks! soo close yet so far away..if only this was a gathering that used n95 masks I'd join them! These are but impostures!
Alas, I must stand alone
I am the real Masked Man!
P.S. a real mask is an n95 mask or a respirator type mask with cartridges underneath my bandanna is my mask/ respirator and it has a valve to freely exhale from for prolonged use and appropriate cartridges to filter out covid, airborne diseases, many viruses, as well as dangerous particles from occupational hazards as well as even preventing allergens.
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Santa Clara County Public Health Department
SUMMARY:
THe Public Health Department has issued a Health Order requiring use of face masks in patient care areas of health care delivery facilities during designated winter respiratory virus period. This period of time is November 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026.
Mandatory Requirement to Wear Face Masks in Patient Care Areas of Health Care Delivery Facilities During the Designated Winter Respiratory Virus Period.
Regardless of vaccination status, all persons in Patient Care Areas of Health Care Delivery Facilities must wear a Face Mask during the period deemed the Designated Winter Respiratory Virus Period by the Health Officer..
..All Businesses and governmental entities with Health Care Delivery Facilities must enforce this Face Mask Requirement
LINK:
https://ems.santaclaracounty.gov/public-health-order-effect
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Womack Army Medical Center
SUMMARY:
Mask and Visitation Update:
All patients, visitors and staff 2 years or older are required to wear masks in all Womack Army Medical Center Waiting Rooms and Patient Care areas due to an increase in respiratory illness cases within our community effective December 29, 2025.
Respiratory illnesses and deaths in North Carolina including influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) have increased to levels higher than in previous years. These levels are expected to increase through the early part of 2026. The influenza A (H3N2) virus strain known as subclade K has spread worldwide and is the most frequently reported influenza viruses so far this season in the U.S.
Thank you for your cooperation in helping to protect the health and safety of our patients, visitors and staff.
Fort Bragg 82nd Airborne Division XVIII Airborne Corps U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Command (USAWHC)"
LINK:
https://www.facebook.com/WomackAMC/posts/mask-and-visitation-updateall-patients-visitors-and-staff-2-years-or-older-are-r/1311045617729651/
COMMENT:
Now we are talking! Army tough and intelligent! Way to go Womack Army Medical Center! Watching out for everybody, making them mask, and explaining why! That's using brains, strategy, and precautions to protect our loved ones and patients and taking lots of measures to protect against the spread of airborne Illness and airborne diseases!
Womack Army Medical Center is showing effort and heart acknowledging the seriousness of the outbreak and responding making attempts at not letting us just be sitting ducks and victims of illness. They are mandating and utilizing masks and being true protectors! I like people that fight for patients rights like that and show they know the art of self defense in the world of medical care!
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CarolinaEast Medical Center limits visitors to curb illness spread
by: Rasheena Smith
Posted: Jan 2, 2026 / 11:08 AM EST
SUMMARY:
NEW BERN, N.C. (WNCT) — Effective Monday, January 5, 2026, CarolinaEast Medical Center will be limiting visitation to two visitors (12 years and older) at a time per patient during visiting hours.
As a result of the growing spread of respiratory illnesses in the community, as well as increased hospitalizations at CarolinaEast Medical Center, it is necessary to limit visitation to help prevent further spread of the viruses.
LINK:
https://www.wnct.com/news/carolinaeast-medical-center-limits-visitors-to-curb-illness-spread/
COMMENT:
That's all they are going to do!?
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Maryland: Meritus Health is urging community members to take precautions as influenza, RSV and other viral illnesses continue to circulate at elevated levels across the region.
Source of information.
1. Herald Mail Media.
https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/story/news/local/2026/01/03/meritus-warns-of-flu-and-rsv-surge-urges-simple-precautions/87997200007/
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Glens Falls Hospital reinstates mask policy
by WRGB StaffThu, January 1, 2026 at 9:30 PM
SUMMARY:
Employees, patients, and visitors inside Glens Falls Hospital must now wear a mask. The hospital says it's due to high levels of flu and RSV in the community.
WRGB CBS 6 News, Albany
2h
LINK:
https://www.facebook.com/CBS6Albany/posts/%EF%B8%8F-employees-patients-and-visitors-inside-glens-falls-hospital-must-now-wear-a-ma/1269429188552799/
COMMENT:
Good for them: Besides employees they are requiring patients and visitors wear masks as well to prevent airborne illness and disease from circulating. That should make the waiting rooms much safer. I don't often see masking required of guests and visitors so this is good since airborne illness is an equal opportunist of sorts.
There was a time in US history when restaurants eventually made smoking and non smoking sections in restaurants instead of just allowing people to smoke wherever they wanted.. it’s as if this hospital chose no smoking in all the sections when they wisely applied masking mandate to be followed in all sections of their hospital including their waiting room to keep all of us safer. For those of you interested in being maskless and inhaling one another's pathogens such as microorganisms like viruses, Sorry, this particular hospital is not currently offering a "maskless virus infection section".
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UNC Health Appalachian implements temporary restrictions due to increases in flu, respiratory illnesses
Staff Report news@wataugademocrat.com
SUMMARY:
At this time, visitors under 11 years old are not permitted. Children can carry and spread viruses without showing symptoms, and this season’s flu strain has been especially severe among children and teens.
Beginning Jan. 1, all UNC Health Appalachian teammates—including providers and staff—will be required to wear masks when indoors around others.
Patients and visitors are strongly encouraged, but not required, to wear a mask when in shared spaces such as hallways, waiting rooms, or exam rooms.
"As always, please do not visit our facilities if you are experiencing respiratory symptoms, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea," UNC Health Appalachian posted on Facebook. "Thank you for your understanding and for helping us keep our community safe."
LINK:
https://www.wataugademocrat.com/news/local/unc-health-appalachian-implements-temporary-restrictions-due-to-increases-in-flu-respiratory-illnesses/article_002efa92-0ce1-4d52-9000-a1da9b643b98.html
PERSONAL COMMENT VERY PERSONAL: This one hits close to home because it is home for me! I will apologize for the length of this COMMENT in advance because I got two things going on..
1.) there is a sick baby in my extended family that might not make it through the night that is in an ambulance with RSV and pneumonia on way to a hospital in Gainesville Florida as I type this(of which I will speak about later in this comment)
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2.), I am taking my loved one who is about to receive surgery to NC Health Appalachian, the hospital featured in this article, ...
...The precautions taken at hospitals mean the difference between life, suffering, or death for ourselves, my loved ones, and yours!...
...I have to be able to control whether I get sick or not this week and next. I have big responsibility and if masking and taking precautions ensure a greater chance of success in staying fit so I am able to care for myself and for loved one who will be dependent upon me, then I have to do it. No problem, I know how to mask!
"Patients and visitors are strongly encouraged, but not required, to wear a mask when in shared spaces such as hallways, waiting rooms, or exam rooms"
..frickin terrifying considering the science behind the fact airborne illness and airborne droplets remain lingering in air of room for hours. It doesn't make any since because the "patients and the visitors" don't have to mask yet are healthy enough too and pose a threat and obviously are there to be in close contact with patients.
Masked Woman is going to this Hospital for surgery this week...Masked Man will be masked with spray bottle of rubbing alcohol amongst these 'maskless' who are not required, to wear a mask when in shared spaces such as hallways, waiting rooms, or exam rooms. I have to sit amongst these 'maskless' vectors' like a sitting duck in the middle of horrendous flu season when I have to escort Masked woman in and out of hospital after her surgery.
See how I am also the weak link.. I am the concerned patient's caregiver and instructed to stay amongst maskless sick people in waiting room for hours while she has surgery.. see how I pose a risk to the patient!? I'll be exposed to illness and I am the one that will be taking Masked Woman home from surgery.. Of course I'm Masking! My clothes and hair are going to be contaminated then I drive loved home in car. We stay masked and throw clothes in washer.. I stick on a disposable N95 Mask and shower with Masked woman and everything after hospital visit. I'm taking all precautions not to infect or be infected by the patient who is my loved one!!!
Personally this is terrifying for Masked Man because Masked Woman's cousin got covid during hospital surgery at a hospital and brought the covid home with him and died of complications due to covid..There's nothing complicated about it.. The hospital in West Virginia killed the guy with covid .. that's just the truth. He got infected in hospital. I'm wearing a mask for awhile even around my loved one after I bring her home from gall bladder surgery. I'll shower her off in N95 mask after her surgery.. I'll wear a mask around her because not even I can afford to get sick ..Someone has to stay strong no matter what! I am the caregiver and have to protect myself even from my loved one incase they make her sick..I still have to take care of her!
This is flu season and Ive got to wait in the waiting room in my mask around a bunch of sick maskless people with my cell phone for few hours and then the doctors call me when they are finished with surgery. At least the doctors, nurses, and staff are required to mask..
...Imagine maskless nurses or maskless staff working around the love of my life maskless who will be on anesthesia!? I guess I am grateful its flu season forcing staff to mask around my 77 year old loved one ..sure is a weird thing to be grateful that flu season is forcing hospital workers to mask. Maybe some people died there. Maybe people died of the flu or even died in the hospital ..or maybe there is an outbreak within the hospital itself where staff is already sick that is forcing them to mask even though they should mask anyway.
Maybe flu season is a blessing in disguise that is forcing Doctors, nurses, and staff to wear masks when otherwise they wouldn't bother. It's crazy to handle sick people and not wear a mask. Thank God its flu season I guess. I won't know for sure for a week or two after she recovers from surgery if she got sick while in surgery so I'll be masking through it all! What a weird thing to say but thank God its Flu season because the doctors and nurses are more likely to be masked around my loved one! The truth remains it would be so much better if they masked year around and it wasn't flu season for the sake of the Hippocratic oath and simply for the sake the patient's utmost safety and health.
...when it comes down to it You still can't trust anybody..Ive been masking for six years ..if they aren't used to wearing a mask its going to slip down their nose..that's reality.. there's also surface contamination and a stuffy room that may or may not be sanitized or air purified for air lingering sticky germs. you can only truly trust and protect yourself... Got to respect particles .. microscopic entities that ride on the vapor of breath and stay in air and contaminate surfaces.. truly insidious hunters.. never underestimate what you can't see! It's not a figment of my imagination. These particles exist because an electron microscope can see them .. that's scientific proof. Besides I'll be in a dirty waiting room around sick maskless people..I'll be masked but you can trust the virus more than those around a virus.. I won't trust myself, especially my hands, clothes and hair to be clean after being in the dirty waiting room for few hours...
..equally scary is did the surgeon or assistant who downplays covid as still being a problem go on Christmas vacation to big family and did they mask then and do hospital workers sometimes try to perform while ill with super flu and do they "work thru an illness" like many sports athletes "play through an illness" or like people who go to work sick? I can see it now some asymptomatic doctor or nurse that doesn't even know they are sick working away.
..Does that sound over the top? sound scary? Then good! it will keep me sharp! I might sound like a fanatic.. then I am because I have to be.. I have to be able to control whether I get sick or not this week and next. I have big responsibility and if masking and taking precautions ensure a greater chance of success in staying fit so I am able to care for myself and for loved one who will be dependent upon me then I have to do it.
Gotta stay strong no matter what, Can't take chances getting sick even from the one I'm taking care of so I'm masking for a time period even after I bring her home...Maybe I'll mask around her a week and a half.. what's a week and a half of masking just to ensure our safety. A week and a half of masking is a walk in the park compared to how horrible it would be getting sick right when I need to stay strong and in control. I am the sole caregiver, The caregiver can't risk getting sick.. Wear a Mask,
The Masked Man
P.S.
When I was younger I would hear people say how they would say "this hospital killed my uncle so or that hospital killed my mom so go to the other hospital in the other county with a better reputation".. and I would think "no, they are just paranoid hospitals are good places nurses and doctors don't go around killing people and those folks that passed away were probably just old" .. but nowadays I'm starting to wonder... Its probably because people get infected with contagious illnesses while they are at hospitals that people blame the hospital for their loved one's deaths.
Yea, thou I am about to walk through the darkest valley, the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff and that snake that wraps around that staff on the doctor's emblem symbol that is often portrayed and embroidered on the doctor's sleeve, and especially your MASK, the N95 MASK in particular comforts me.. and that is about all that comforts me is the masking mandate at UNC Health Appalachian this week or for as long as it lasts.
I can't help but notice UNC Health Appalachian's statement:
"At this time, visitors under 11 years old are not permitted. Children can carry and spread viruses without showing symptoms, and this season’s flu strain has been especially severe among children and teens."
...Yeah that's probably because at least one child died recently in NC but lemme tell ya adults, and elderly can carry and spread viruses without showing symptoms too! Don't act like adults and elderly people in the waiting room aren't asymptomatic! Anybody can be sick and contagious without knowing it or showing signs for awhile.
I say require the adults visitors and guests (who can be asymptomatic) to wear masks or leave since they are just mere visitors or guest. Always focus on what is best for the patient (not the guest or visitor)! To me you focus on what's best for the patient. I am the caregiver so I am here officially on patient's behalf and so I mask to protect patient. Nobody else belongs at a hospital if they aren't there on behalf of the patient to protect the patient. Therefore it is always in the best interest to protect patient from airborne illness or airborne disease by masking when entering a hospital because that is the sole function of hospital which is to focus solely on patient's best interest and to keep patients safe from illness...
...The hospital isn't a beauty contest where just anybody can come in free to cough and sputter on whatever. Its an establishment designed to protect people who are often in a weakened state or ill health seeking care and prevention from all ailments and ills. The hospital is supposed to be a place to heal not suffer more peril from maskless unkempt unprofessionals not savvy to todays apparatus', tools, and techniques to keep one another safe from airborne illness and disease.
And then on top of that they advise people who are sick with respiratory problems, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea not to visit the facilities.. (I am glad children won't be running around and I am glad they are trying to keep sick people away but they should consider just making people mask for sake of the people who can't defend themselves from the maskless)
.."As always, please do not visit our facilities if you are experiencing respiratory symptoms, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea," UNC Health Appalachian posted on Facebook. "Thank you for your understanding and for helping us keep our community safe.".
... you mean sick people actually visit other sick people in hospitals!? And now we are trusting our lives to them that they will discontinue visiting their loved ones and we are just going to take people's word for it they are not sick if they tell us they are not sick even the asymptomatic ones that don't feel sick?
Wouldn't it just be easier to tell them to all wear a mask for because my loved one is getting gall bladder surgery and because we don't want to pose unnecessary risk to other patients and other caregivers such as myself who will be masked, justifiably scared and concerned and armed with rubbing alcohol praying that disinfecting the dirty upholstery of chair I might have to perch myself upon for a few hours will do the trick?
I really should consider coming in mask dressed as sanitation worker and tape off a section of chairs in waiting room to clean and scrub with very strong chemicals for few hours while loved one gets surgery. I guess I could bring some extra masks with me and simply hand them to people in the waiting room and it wouldn't be an illegal act to say "we prefer you mask for us if that's alright".
Now for the other dose of reality...Currently as I type this, We received an out of state phone call: My loved one's daughter' little baby has RSV and pneumonia, They live in another state..The babies were sick a little before Christmas ..then everybody got sick again on Christmas Now its New years day .all five family members sick since Christmas ... they went to a birthday party and a teenager family member visiting them was either sick or got sick ..now that whole family of five is still sick..The baby is now in an ambulance ..baby's got a temperature of 103-104 on the way to a Gainesville hospital in Florida an hour away from where they live..They are all sick with baby in ambulance with RSV & pneumonia speeding to GainesvilleHospital...
...nobody listened to us they went to party anyway and got sick... I will be sitting with people like that in the hospital in my mask. This is no joke. This is a living nightmare.
baby might DIE!.. people in waiting rooms not being made to mask..think about it! I'm not playing that game..I'm masking! I'm going to try to survive this cruddy hell with or without the people in the waiting room. I ain't going down with them maskless ones.. let me die in honor in my mask if I die at all I aint playing with these diseases that's for sure! that's a baby that might die..I'd be masking around dying babies man! that's all I know to say to the maskless. That's as real as I can get saying the truth straight from the heart.. The maskless must be insane not to mask around dying babies because that's exactly what is happening as I type this. We have no idea as I type this if my loved one's grand baby will live to see the day of light all because they went to a stupid party and nobody is taking precautions. He turned one year old yesterday. will he live through the night? Who wants to live like that powerless to protect one another?..I don't... I'm Masking! We knew this was going to happen.That's what hospitals bring in..they bring in babies with pneumonia...They are bringing in my loved one's grandbaby that might die of pneumonia ... Nothing personal but I don't wanna catch that ..I don't wanna catch RSV & pneumonia. .. I don't wish that on anybody I fear for our lives and my own which is good enough reason to mask..especially where sick babies are.. my uncle just died from pneumonia.. I don't wanna die which is why I use mask.
I apologize for the length of this Comment but I just can't think of a better argument for masking at a hospital considering at any given moment an ambulance might rush in with a very sick loved one possibly a baby with pneumonia and those of you that are maskless yourselves might catch pneumonia and die or spread it more so you better mask while at hospitals...
...My extended family of five who are all sick and exposed to RSV and pneumonia with a baby that might not make it through the night might be sitting next to you in the waiting room at the hospital ..That's why we should mask!
I, Masked Man loving caretaker, who has never caught covid never even been sick in six years because of my careful lifestyle and masking will now be exposed to whatever is in a dirty hospital waiting room and be testing out my mask for hours in a waiting room during the season of what they call the Super Flu! I guess some luck is involved so wish me luck or let us pray my mask is really as good as they say!
P.S. Just recieved another phone call the baby will probably be okay but all five member are still sick.. who wants to play with that and risk long term repercussions or suffer like that? I'm not messing with that ..can't even afford it much less do I have the time.. Just Mask up and don't do parties or gathering that are just frivolous anyway ..use your brain..perfect the spot you are in if you have to perfect some area do stuff online that is meaningful, creative or intellectual with others... What is wrong with people? Just mask at the hospital incase my extended family of five sick ones sit down next to you!
They aren't out of the woods yet..people assure us everybody is alright but They are still miserably sick and who knows when they will get better and or what long term repercussions and if they have more than just RSV which sounds serious enough to me considering the baby is in hospital right now for pneumonia.
I think its fair for me to say I'm sick of my own stupid sick extended family.. it's upsetting and nerve-wracking people just letting viruses get them and that's not for me. Wear a mask and chose a smarter safer lifestyle so you don't have to deal with all that! Imagine what it's like those of us who mask. We have to deal with sick peopler still reluctant to mask in the hospital waiting room!? That's not fair to those of us who mask to get punished by the maskless when they get sick.
(Update: Masked Woman's Gall Bladder Surgery postponed due to insurance possibly not covering it...she will probably be fine and we will get her surgery done in a couple months most likely.. medical treatment and being safe can be a terrifying completely stressful rollercoaster ride and makes me appreciate what other readers are probably going through and facing as well..
.. Right now CDC is encouraging mask use in US..it’s Super Flu season ..where I live, very few people mask like me but very few people haven't caught any airborne illness in 6 years straight like I haven't caught. So it must be hard for anybody to criticize my success story or advice about masking.
I have my own ways of doing stuff. I like sticking close to home. I don't go inside a place unless its a medical building .. For me the mask is hope and self defense. The mask is but a set of indiscpensable gills for surviving this cruel world that is practically in a continual state of demolition and while human's are under continual threat and burdened by microscopic entities at play..
Most of us agree upon is that Seeking treatment and being a caretaker and patient can be hardest work in the world and has its ups and downs.. now I get mask on, get on my bicycle and ride the stress away.. I can barely handle this stuff man and my heart goes out to those that can handle all this work within the healthcare world.
This is all unnecessary stress for a guy impervious to infectious illness for the most part because I wear a mask and don't get sick! I Survived the night of worrying about others..
soon I put on mask and do my 6 mile circuit on bicycle.. while I spin the
pedals the world spins under me at my own pace! I am relieved for now. Just mask in public so ya don't get sick in the first place and create extra stress for all of us!)
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University of Maryland Medical facilities requiring masks amid surge in respiratory illness.
Source of information.
1. WBOC.
https://www.wboc.com/news/university-of-maryland-medical-facilities-requiring-masks-amid-surge-in-respiratory-illness/article_eda2ca59-3866-4501-bb00-dfe69c96a133.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=user-share
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I thought it befitting to include a private residence and household that proudly has a strict masking mandate in place since 2020...
here at:
Masked Man Music Studio & Masked Woman's Mountain Flower Bakery
of the High Country, North Carolina
1.Source of info The Masked Man
Masked Man & Masked Woman's Trip To Doctor To Drop Off Paper Work & See Masked Nurse & Masked Doctor Briefly Music Video
Here's our trip on foot to prove even a 77 year old woman can mask and can hike in a mask a couple miles to doctor and back so why can't healthcare workers toughen up, show some respect, and mask for us!?...
Video LINK:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kw_nxomTcrLyf3zTJx0UW0mQ7D1P9k-u/view?usp=sharing
The Masked Man
P.S. A little about myself... As a caretaker who masks, serves, and protects a relatively healthy masked loved one who is 77, I want to keep healthy & fit, and I don't want unnecessary risks from airborne illnesses and airborne viruses just because sick people and people who work with sick people aren't smart or kind enough to mask. I must confess I get the creeps for good reason around maskless people especially maskless healthcare workers who try to approach us and maskless people in waiting room some of which are obviously sick and often coughing and showing signs of pain and suffering. Maskless people make me sick. I have an aversion to pain and suffering...'hence, my mask'.
I understandably feel nervous and sick with anxiety about entering an area where sick suffering people often seek treatment. I love myself and love not being sick. Out of sheer nervousness I go to the bathroom a million times right before the healthcare trip. I don't wanna catch anything from the doctor's office! I rehearse the words "we prefer you mask for us if that is alright". I tell you this just to let maskless people know how it really feels for some of us that choose to protect ourselves by masking. Healthcare facilities are the places where sick people gather and often seek medical attention. It's in everybody's best interest to mask in healthcare areas. Also, I have the right to not wanna catch anything when I have reason to believe I'm being exposed to something at a sick house Call it what you like but that's what a healthcare facility is..it's a place where sick people go... reality is it's a 'sick house'.
To me the one big common misconception throughout medical care is this: medical care isn't always just about medicine, internal medicine or intravenous drugs.. medical care also includes the use of tools, apparatuses and exercise and things we have to do. We must learn to use everything when treating and preventing illness, disease, and injury. The mask is an indispensable tool that actually works and is a must-have weapon of prevention against airborne illness and disease for both doctor and patient alike. It's non-invasive easy to use and should be taken advantage of if we are to fully embrace the Hippocratic oath especially the part that reads "I will prevent disease whenever I can, for prevention is preferable to cure".
...for the mask can do this! It not only helps prevent just one airborne illness it prevents more than one type of airborne illness .. a multitude of illnesses! and its in accordance with the Hippocratic oath's statement in regards to prevention! For a doctor to omit using the mask is like omitting part of his Hippocratic oath! We all want an easy cure but hey! Don't skip or skimp out on utilizing the preventative measures esspecially if they exist!
It has always pretty much been an accepted practice in the medical world and the custom of all civilized societies to protect the healthy from the sick by separating them from one another.. that is the usual common sense custom that the medical world has known about and strives to practice. One of the ways to keep the healthy separated from the sick is by using the mask which is a noninvasive means and considered a humane way of preventing the spread of airborne illness and airborne disease. The mask is an essential and effective tool and means to prevent airborne illness and airborne disease when it is not always possible to completely separate the sick from the healthy. The mask is supposed to be used when the sick and healthy are forced by necessity to be in the same quarters.
Please protect yourselves and help prevent the spread of airborne Illness and airborne disease by using masks. Please mask for those that are masking for you. Thank you.
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Brown Health to require masks at hospitals due to rise in flu cases
Source of information.
1. WPRI.
https://www.wpri.com/health/brown-health-to-require-masks-at-hospitals-due-to-rise-in-flu-cases/
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North Carolina: Cone Health updating mask and visitor policies with respiratory illness cases rising.
Source of information.
1. WXII12.
https://www.wxii12.com/article/cone-health-mask-visitor-polices-changing/69685247
"MASKING CHANGES
Patients and visitors are encouraged, but not required to wear masks.
All Cone Health staff will wear masks when caring for patients."
Personal NOTE/remark:
I live in NC (but not in the aforementioned county where Cone health is)
My loved one is soon to have gall bladder surgery and I am going to make sure everybody knows I am not just a visitor but a caretaker.
Its good to see staff masking!... However I don't understand why patients and visitors wouldn't be required to mask as well... airborne illnesses are known to linger in rooms for hours! and that waiting room must be a host of germs! At least doctors and staff here are more safe!
There are also policies/mandates at other hospitals from time to time which don't allow visitors at all... In that case, I would think allowing visitors that were required to mask would be more ideal.
The weirdest policy Ive seen at some hospitals is when some hospitals don't allow visitors at all and yet at the same time there aren't any masking requirements for staff or anybody.. to me, this is horrifying because I am a Masked caretaker.
I am the Masked Man who stands by my loved one's side and has made sure all staff and doctors that approach me and my masked elderly loved one wear masks regardless of their policies. Ive done it before and I'll do it again. I get in their face and simply politely request "we prefer you mask for us if that's okay" and they always do.
I share a little secret you can simply request they mask for you, yourself... I encourage people to request staff and doctors who approach them to wear a mask regardless of policy or mandates... They often will accommodate you if you tell them that's what you prefer.
just politely repeat your simple request that you prefer them to mask for you …
Already having our masks on and also just repeating the words “we prefer you wear a mask for us, if that’s alright” politely and respectfully has gotten doctors and staff to mask for us promptly.
(Also tell whoever leaves your room like the masked nurse to relay to the next person that is to enter room that you prefer them to mask as well… but even if you request this be prepared to make your simple request yet again for each encounter: politely say “we prefer you mask if that’s alright” for any staff , technician or doctor that approaches you to work with you and/or your loved one.)
The Masked Man
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North Carolina: Cone Health updating mask and visitor policies with respiratory illness cases rising.
Source of information.
1. WXII12.
https://www.wxii12.com/article/cone-health-mask-visitor-polices-changing/69685247
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Spain is once again making mask mandatory in some settings.
Source of information.
1. Euro Weekly News.
https://euroweeklynews.com/2025/11/28/spain-hits-back-masks-are-mandatory-again/
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Canada: As respiratory illness season arrives, Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare (MAHC) has updated masking requirements in the hospitals.
Effective October 3, staff, patients and visitors are wearing a surgical mask over their nose and mouth while interacting with patients/visitors, and/or upon entering a patient’s room/space.
Source of information.
1. Muskoka.
https://muskoka411.com/masking-returns-to-local-hospitals-for-respiratory-illness-season/
Excellent policy to mask! This is the way to live or shall I say survive! I especially like the instructive details to mask "over their nose and mouth" as it indicates they are serious about not just masking but also masking properly!
The Masked Man
P.S. This household masks (and has masked since the pandemic began) in public and no one enters our home. Today I am proud to say we have had yet another successful walk to the end of our road and back In our safety masks. A masked leaf looking day! My significant other is 77 year old and uses an N95 Mask while I use a respirator type mask with special cartridges that prevent airborne disease.
I am very proud of my loved one for leading and supporting a masked way of life like me! I am very proud to be a part of this forum and proud of the institutions in this thread that adopt mask usage to protect lives! My life and my loved ones Lives are precious to me.
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Canada: As respiratory illness season arrives, Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare (MAHC) has updated masking requirements in the hospitals.
Effective October 3, staff, patients and visitors are wearing a surgical mask over their nose and mouth while interacting with patients/visitors, and/or upon entering a patient’s room/space.
Source of information.
1. Muskoka.
https://muskoka411.com/masking-returns-to-local-hospitals-for-respiratory-illness-season/
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England: Masking has returned to portions of 2 hospitals. The emergency department at the Leicester Royal Infirmary and the clinical decision unit at the Glenfield Hospital.
Source of information.
1. BBC.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2581lyjwvo
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This time a hospital in Canada.
Masking returns to hospital for respiratory illness season.
Source of information.
1. Doppler Online.
https://doppleronline.ca/huntsville/masking-returns-to-hospital-for-respiratory-illness-season/
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Again in the UK Anuerin Bevan University Health Board has brought back masking at their hospitals.
Source of information.
1. @mitomavirus on X.
https://x.com/mitomavirus/status/1975673058339004710
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Here is another story that list even more masking requirements for healthcare workers in California.
Mask mandates return in parts of the Bay Area as virus season nears
Source of information.
1. SF Chronicle.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/health/article/bay-area-mask-mandates-21088785.php?utm_campaign=CMS%20Sharing%20Tools%20(Premium)&utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral
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California: Sonoma County orders masking for some health workers through March.
Source of information.
1. Press Democrat.
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/2025/10/06/sonoma-county-orders-masking-for-some-health-workers-through-march/
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Just saw this on X for the UK.
Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust re-introduces face masks in response to "a rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in our hospitals"
Source of information.
1. @gwladwr on X
https://x.com/gwladwr/status/1975652979920584823
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Over the past several days, I have seen post mainly on X mentioning places where masking is returning once again due to a rise in respiratory illness such as Covid and other viruses. I thought I would create a tracking thread that documents where this is happening. This will be a 1 for all worldwide thread, so anywhere in the world goes, as I do not think there will be enough post to warrant separating the US and the rest of the world. Let's hope I end up being wrong and many places do the right thing as virus activity increases.