Mount Nittany Health lifts masking requirement after respiratory illness numbers decrease
9 a.m. Jan. 26 update: Effective 7 a.m. Jan. 26, physicians, clinicians, employees, volunteers, students and vendors are no longer required to mask in Mount Nittany Health facilities, the health system announced, adding that respiratory illness numbers have decreased.
Mount Nittany Health has temporarily put a masking requirement in place at all of its facilities due to an increase in respiratory illness within the community.
Effective 7 a.m. Jan. 12, all patients, visitors and employees will be required to wear a face mask in patient care clinical and common areas, according to a press release. The requirement applies to the medical center, clinics and all physician group offices.
The masking requirement is a precautionary measure “due to an observed increase in respiratory illness (flu, RSV, and Covid) cases within the community, our healthcare system, and among our team,” the health system wrote.
Mandatory masking will be in place for at least two weeks, with the goal of lifting the requirement by Jan. 26.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest respiratory illness activity update, Pennsylvania’s respiratory illness level is high, and surrounding states are either listed in the high or very high levels (West Virginia is the exception at a moderate level).
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Centre County’s only hospital has made various adjustments to its masking policy. The most recent was in September, when it temporarily required employees to wear masks when engaging with patients due to an increase in COVID cases.
For more information and further updates, visit mountnittany.org.
This story was originally published January 11, 2024 at 7:49 PM.
