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.

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.
  
  
  

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