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Since the CDC released updated guidance on wearing masks indoors at the end of February, OSMA has received some inquiries from members about recommendations for mask wearing in healthcare settings.

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While there are no current government mandates in Ohio, individual facilities can set specific requirements.

Additionally, in the latest updated guidance the CDC states:

 

Healthcare personnel who are up to date with all recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses:

• Could choose not to wear source control or physically distance when they are in well-defined areas that are restricted from patient access (e.g., staff meeting rooms, kitchen).
  
  
• They should wear source control when they are in areas of the healthcare facility where they could encounter patients (e.g., hospital cafeteria, common halls/corridors). Source control is defined as the use of masksto cover a person’s mouth and nose and to help reduce the spread of large respiratory droplets to others when the person talks, sneezes, or coughs.
  
  
  

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Below are resource link for more detailed guidance from the CDC and OSHA, as well as statements from the AHA and AMA.

A reminder, the below guidance and recommendation are not standards or regulations and create no legal obligations, and each practice should assess their own risk and develop their own policies.

 

• CDC Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Updated Feb. 2, 2022)
  
  
  
• CDC Mask Guidance (Updated Feb. 25, 2022)
  
  
  
• OSHA COVID-19 Guidance for Healthcare Worker Safety
  
  
  
• AHA Still Encourages Mask Wearing in Hospitals
  
  
  
• AMA President Statement on Mask Wearing in Healthcare Facilities